


Goblets And The Moon

by missgardian



Series: Wolves [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dark Harry Potter, Dark Magic, Gen, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Injury, Legilimency, Morally Grey Harry Potter, My own version of werewolves, Nice Severus Snape, Occlumency, Parseltongue, Powerful Harry Potter, Sane Tom Riddle, Slytherin Harry Potter, Smart Harry Potter, Snakes, Swearing, Vampires, Violence, Werewolf Harry Potter, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27644906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missgardian/pseuds/missgardian
Summary: Despite the fact that the previous year was filled with criminals, horror and even death, Harry is glad to finally be with his godfather who he is now allowed to live with in his ancestral home.The only thing that is bringing his mood down is the fact that he's thrust into yet another situation that he wished didn't involve him as it's something he's not ready for and he has no idea how it's even possible.Trying his best to keep his emotions and magic under control, this year will certainly be difficult as he battles the Triwizard Tournament.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory & Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Fleur Delacour & Harry Potter, Harry Potter & Original Male Character(s), Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter & Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Viktor Krum & Harry Potter
Series: Wolves [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589911
Comments: 111
Kudos: 95





	1. Grimmauld Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part of the series yay! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry :( I really hope people are still reading this and haven't left me lmao. Enjoy!

Harry was shaking uncontrollably from the icy coldness that enveloped his arms, his breath visible every time he exhaled. The sky was still dark, the twinkling of the stars bright in the sky and the moon hiding behind the thick clouds. He noticed the Dementor from his earlier attack flying off into the distance and went rigid in fear, thinking it was going to attack again, however it just ran off.

He realised that what felt like hours inside the Afterlife must have been mere minutes. Time was distorted inside that place and it was odd.

As the Dementor took off, the cold disappeared and everything got warm again, the frost on the ground melting. He shakily stood up after a moment and looked around himself for his wand, searching for it and eventually finding it in a nearby bush where it had been rudely knocked out his hand by the Dementor. 

Where he usually felt a calm and warm sensation when he held his wand in his hand before, it now felt cold and foreign. It was like he was holding a random wooden stick from the forest ground in his hand or someone else's wand entirely. He stared down at the holly wand in sadness, upset that he wouldn't be able to perform spells with it anymore but also relieved that it was the end of the year so he wouldn't have to perform magic during classes anymore. 

He sighed and walked clumsily through the forest back towards the castle, briefly following the trail he'd left behind in his run to get here. He had no idea where he was and was a little scared because he had no idea what other dangers the forest held, however he knew if he ran into something, he'd be able to hold himself. 

Well, he hoped.

After fifteen minutes of stumbling and smacking large branches out of the way, he saw the castle in the distance and felt relieved. He reached the edge of the forest and ran quickly out of there, heading back indoors and casting a charm to make his footsteps silent. He grimaced when the spell didn't work and tucked the wand away grumpily, heading back towards the dungeons as quietly as he could.

All he wanted to do at this moment in time was get into bed and wrap himself up in his thick covers, falling asleep to the comforting words that he knew Nessie would provide. As he hurried towards the dungeons, he ran into the Baron who was floating aimlessly through the dark hallways. 

"Harrison, what on Earth are you doing out of bed? You should be sleeping. You're going back home soon, aren't you?" the ghost asked curiously. "This is no time for gallivanting around the premises."

"I'm not," Harry shook his head. "I just went on a walk, I couldn't sleep. I needed some fresh air," he mumbled quietly and walked around the ghost.

"Ah. Nervous about going back to the muggles?" the Baron asked, clueless. "They're not the friendliest bunch, are they?"

Harry sighed. "I'll say..." he cringed. "But no. I won't be going back to the Dursley's this summer, Baron. If all goes well, I'll be living with Sirius now," he said with enthusiasm.

"How wonderful!" the Baron smiled. "I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours."

"Thank you," Harry smiled gently.

"Alright, off to bed then," the Baron demanded. "You'll have lots of packing to do and you won't want to be tired and grumpy when you plan on moving in with your godfather."

Harry agreed and quickly ran down to the Slytherin common room again, heading back up to his dorm room and jumping quickly into bed, cuddling up to Nessie. She eyed him worriedly, obviously knowing that something wasn't quite right, however he didn't want to worry her and therefor told her the same lie he told the Baron. 

**"Later,"** he whispered to her and stroked her head gently. She narrowed her eyes at him before nodding, falling asleep curled up next to him.

* * *

**"You mean you died? You actually died?"** Nessie hissed in worry as Harry was packing his clothes into his trunk. She'd been harassing him nonstop ever since he revealed the truth of what happened yesterday in the forest and despite how flattered he was at her motherly care over him, it was headache inducing. **"How could you do something like this?"**

 **"It's not as if I planned for it to happen, Nessie. I've been trying to avoid it all year long,"** Harry sighed tiredly. **"Unfortunately, the universe has it out for me."**

 **"Well, you better not do it again. Who will I have to feed me delicious foods? Who will I talk to and actually have decent company with?"** she scolded him. **"Nobody, that's who. Silly youngling."**

Harry smiled at her and nodded. **"You're right, I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is leave you,"** he said sincerely and pat her on the head affectionately.

She preened at the attention and snuggled into his hand for a moment before curling up into his bed sheets for warmth as he went back to packing his trunk, making sure not to leave anything behind. He found his sketchbook at the bottom of his bedside drawer and frowned as he took another quick look through it, wincing at the horrid memories which stood out. 

He grabbed a black quill and started drawing what his good old friend Death looked like onto paper remembering all the little details of his skeletal hands and long cloak. The image haunted him. He wanted to erase it. But, that would defeat the purpose of his book, of keeping a visual reminder of important memories, no matter how upsetting.

Instead, he slammed the book shut and threw it in the trunk with a shudder.

* * *

As if he'd somehow used a Time Turner to jump into the future, he eventually found himself boarding the train and ignoring everyone else around him. Nessie, currently wrapped around his shoulders and torso, instructed him to find his own compartment which he did within minutes. They had a lot to talk about and it wouldn't help to have passerby's overhearing them. 

**"To your satisfaction, m'lady?"** he said with a smile, sitting her down on the compartment seat as he closed the door behind them. He shut the curtains that hung from the compartment glass windows and sighed in relief at the privacy, hoping that nobody would come bother them. It's not as if he could hex them as his wand didn't work anymore. 

Nessie was always willing to hiss some nasty threats, however.

 **"You always provide decent service, my youngling,"** she replied cheekily. Harry rolled his eyes and sat down across from her, ready to delve deep into conversation.

 **"Ness, do you really think that Sirius will get pardoned?"** he asked anxiously. **"I don't want even _one_ person taking Pettigrew's side on this case. It'll drive me mad,"** he clenched his fists.

 **"Why would anyone take that filthy rat's side?"** Nessie asked. **"He was supposedly dead for twelve years and then he miraculously comes back to life. Actually, it turns out he wasn't dead in the first place. No human will decide to take that stinky vermin's side in this case, youngling. Your godfather will be set free and you can be with him for all eternity,"** she said sincerely. 

**"You really think so?"** he asked hopefully, not feeling shame for asking advice from a snake. She was cleverer than him at times.

 **"I know so. Even the fat chocolate fudge man with the funky hat believes the rat man is deadly and needs to be locked up,"** she reminds him in her own eloquent way which has him biting his lip to stifle a laugh. **"And the old man who you call the 'old coot' believes that your godfather is innocent, doesn't he?"** Harry nods his head, remembering when Dumbledore quite possibly saw through his Invisibility Cloak in his office and spotted him and Sirius hiding. **"Told you."**

 **"Thanks, girl. I believe you,"** he sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

 **"And I'll be sticking around, of course. There's nothing you can do to get rid of me,"** she said with a shake of her head, making Harry smile. **"If either of you try, I shall hit you with my tail. Believe me, it hurts."**

 **"I know that,"** he glared, rubbing his arm where he distinctly remembers her slapping him hard several times over the past couple of years.

They then simply chatted away together for the next couple of hours, talking about what Harry could get up to at Sirius' house, what kind of wand he's expecting to get now that he needs a new one, Nessie often asking him how he feels after the Dementor and dying incident and him always responding that he's starting to feel better - which was the truth - and both of them simply enjoying the scenery as the train trekked on.

Suddenly, there was a banging on the door which disturbed their peace and Harry pursed his lips whilst Nessie hissed angrily. Harry got up and opened up a curtain to take a peek at who was on the other side. His eyebrows rose when he saw a sheepish looking Ron and slightly eager Hermione standing next to him. 

"Can we come in?" Hermione asked him.

"In my private compartment?" Harry said.

"You don't own them..." Ron mumbled under his breath. Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and the boy glared at her furiously.

"Why do you want to join me? What's wrong with each other's company?" Harry pointed to the two of them. "Haven't you got like one million siblings you can talk to?" he said to Ron. "And what about your other friends? Go sit with them," Harry told Hermione with a roll of his eyes, knowing full well she doesn't have any other friends.

The girl blushed and looked down at her feet, composing herself before looking back up at him with more confidence. "We'd like to talk to you. It's important."

"What could be so important that you have to bother me and my wonderful company?" Harry crossed his arms.

Ron took a peek in the compartment and frowned in confusion. "That's your snake."

"And she's brilliant," Harry said proudly.

"Um, okay... " Ron trailed off.

"For goodness sake! Enough of this childish silly games. It's about Sirius Black!" Hermione snapped out, finally.

Harry blinked at her for a moment before opening the doors quickly, dragging them both inside roughly by the arms and making them wince then shutting the doors behind them, closing the curtain.

"What of him?" he asked bluntly. "D'you know something?"

"Not exactly. But we wanted to see how you were feeling," Hermione said. 

"Feeling?"

"After everything that went down with Professor Lupin and Sirius at the Shrieking Shack-"

"You mean when you exposed my secrets?" Harry glowered at her. 

"I'm still sorry about that," Hermione wrung her hands. "I thought I was doing what was best. I wanted to help in the long run, I was going to look out for you-"

"I don't need you to look out for me," Harry interrupted her again. "At least nobody got seriously hurt that day, let's just be thankful for that."

She nodded at him and sighed. "Now that Minister Fudge and Professor Dumbledore know Peter Pettigrew is alive, surely they'll toss him in Azkaban like they promised."

"I bloody well hope so," Harry said. "I'll drag him to prison if I have to. Remember, I'm stronger than him."

Ron and Hermione paled a little and Harry finally sat himself down next to Nessie grumpily, stroking her scales to calm himself down. The other two shared a look before taking a seat opposite him but Harry didn't say anything, much to their relief. He was just too tired and wanted to go to bed.

"Will you be going back to the Dursley's?" Hermione asked sceptically. 

Harry offered her a large grin that bordered on evil. "If I never see them again, it'll be too soon. Sirius is picking me up from the station and taking me back to his place," he said with excitement rolling in his stomach. 

Not only would he be able to live with his godfather but he'd never have to see the abusive muggle relatives of his again. At least he got a few good kicks in there before he made his permanent departure. Not that he felt bad for Marge, at all. She deserved everything that was coming to her.

"But isn't he still technically a convicted murderer by law?" Hermione's voice piped up. "We all know he's innocent but until he gets his trial, the public will still be scared of him and he'll need to remain undercover or stay locked up," she frowned.

"Quite right," Harry nodded. "But you're forgetting that Sirius is an Animagus, aren't you?" 

"Oh yeah, that slipped my mind," she frowned.

"Obviously. So, from the moment I step off the train, I now have a new pet dog who I shall call Snuffles," he smirked.

"Why Snuffles?" Ron asked with confusion.

"Because Sirius really didn't like the name Muttzzarella," Harry chuckled. "Thought it was slightly offensive and degrading."

"I can see why! You're calling him a mutt," Ron said.

"But also cheese," Harry raised an eyebrow. 

Hermione let out an exasperated breath and ignored the conversation taking place. Her mind was drifting to the fact that for the first time in quite a long time, both boys weren't at each other's throats and trying to practically kill one another. It was a slight relief to see some tension loosen up between them both as they bantered slightly back and forth. 

She didn't know how long it would last, nor did she particularly care that much, she just appreciated that it was happening at this moment and that was enough for now. 

Perhaps it had something to do with Sirius. Maybe he was bringing out a new side to Harry that they hadn't seen before, a kinder side. Or maybe he was unlocking that previous version of Harry, the one that existed years ago, back when things weren't so... complicated.

When she's been in his presence, she felt that he's always been a confusing and somewhat anxiety inducing character from time to time, if she's being honest. She never hated him, he never gave her reason to. 

She doesn't think he hated her either. He just never particularly liked her. She doesn't think that'll ever change and that's okay. She's used to that, accepted it. As long as things can go back to speaking terms for all of them, to the point where they can sit in the same room or at the same table and not bicker for more than five minutes, that'd be wonderful.

With the casual conversation she had with Harry mere minutes ago and the fact that he's joking about a nickname with Ron right now, she thinks that's already a step in the right direction.

She sees his pet snake look up at him casually and let out a small hiss, gaining the boy's attention. Harry gave it a gentle pat and if she was correct in her assumptions, she could swear he nodded at it in silent agreement over something. She wouldn't know what, though. She's never been good with snakes. She finds them a bit creepy. She'd never dare to voice this out loud to Harry, however. 

God knows how he'd react. It most likely wouldn't be pleasant, though. Not only is he a Slytherin but he has a snake companion. It'd be one of the most utmost offensive things to say. And an angry Harry Potter was not a Harry she liked to come across.

The last thing she wanted to do after seeing him have some sort of silent conversation with his pet snake was start some kind of argument by asking him questions about it and how he could understand it's needs so easily like that. She didn't want to let paranoia get the best of her again and start accusing the boy of being some kind of snake charmer. Like heaven forbid, a _Parselmouth_.

It was practically impossible. The last remaining snake speaker was You-Know-Who and nobody knows where he's gone off to now. He's also a direct descendant to Salazar Slytherin, the great Serpent Tongue, himself. Nobody outside of the official Slytherin line would ever gain the ability to be a Parselmouth, she's sure of it. And as far as she's aware, the Potters aren't related to that line by any means.

Sure, it's a little odd that Harry ended up in Slytherin house and coincidentally enough has a pet snake, but that's nothing to go by. Just silly thoughts again.

Harry's just very good with his pet, that's all. He's good with Hedwig from what she's seen and she's simply an owl. Yeah, best to let it go. It's unimportant. She pulls herself out of her useless thoughts and focuses back on the boys who are now quiet.

Ron is nibbling on a sugar quill with a satisfied look on his face whilst Harry stares intently out the window, watching the scenery as they go through the forest. He gulps and clenches his fists, blinking furiously as he eyes all the dark and thick trees that surround them. It's usually an interesting and surreal experience to travel through the forest via train and wait to come out on the other side but the boy looks miserable.

"Are you alright?" she delicately asks him.

Harry breaks eye contact with the trees and looks at her sharply before softening his gaze slightly. "I'm fine, just tired."

She had the distinct feeling that he was lying but yet again, didn't want to push and prod at any boundaries right now. She simply nodded and relaxed back into the chair, rolling her eyes at Ron who was enthusiastically devouring the sweet and getting his hands and face sticky.

Harry ignored Hermione as she scolded Ron, telling him off for making a mess of himself with his food and treating him like a toddler. He was too busy trying to ignore the anxiety that was rolling through him in waves.

The second the sky around them outside got darker and the trees got thicker, he internally went into panic mode. He might be suffering from a slight case of PTSD because he momentarily had a sudden flashback of himself running through the forest as Dementors chased him. He shivered as he felt cold, though he knew the monsters weren't around anymore. It was all inside his head.

Nessie seemed to sense the dilemma and understand his feelings, hissing comforting words to him every now and then which the other two in the compartment didn't understand. He smiled and nodded at her subtly, letting her know he appreciated her words of comfort. He thought he saw Hermione eye him and Nessie a few times curiously but she looked away quickly and he shrugged it off as his paranoia.

After a while when Hermione had pulled out a book to read and Harry was ignoring whatever Ron was doing, practically falling half asleep with his head against the window and a hand resting atop Nessie, another bang on the compartment doors had him pulled from his rest and he growled, standing up and stomping over to open the door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" the old witch said with a smile.

His glare dropped immediately and he put on a kind expression. "Oh, nothing for me, thank you. You two?" he asked, looking back at Ron and Hermione in their chairs.

Hermione shook her head, going back to her book instantly, whilst Ron got up and bought a chocolate frog with a grin, making Harry internally scream. 

_'Shouldn't he know?'_ he thought to himself as the witch walked away and he closed the doors with a sigh, sitting back down grumpily. _'Of course not, he's uneducated in all aspects. Didn't pay any attention in Defence class this past year to learn that werewolves don't like chocolate.'_

He glared bitterly at Ron as he tore open the sweet and took a big bite out the moving chocolate frog, smiling in satisfaction. Harry, however, was covering his nose with a cringe and breathing through his mouth, trying to keep the smell away from enveloping his senses. It was the equivalent to smelling dragon dung and he held back a gag, drowning out the boy's chewing for as long as he could before he snapped.

"These are delicious, you should have gotten one, 'Mione," Ron mumbled around a bite full. 

The girl looked up and her eyes widened in shock.

Harry let out a small groan as his stomach gave a sudden lurch, the nausea overwhelming him. 

"Okay, you've got to be doing this on purpose!" he finally snapped.

"Doing what?" Ron blinked.

"You can't possibly be this stupid," Harry retorted frustratedly. "I've given you about a minute to figure out what's wrong with this situation and you haven't even picked up on it, yet. Doesn't surprise me, though. Percy was always the most clever and ambitious one of you lot. He's the one that'll actually make something of himself."

He saw Ron's face turn red and his fists clench, angry at being compared to his older brother who was clearly doing much better in life than him and knew he'd struck a nerve, however, he didn't care. 

"Don't you dare say that!" Ron yelled in defence. "What gives you the right?"

"I can say whatever I damn well please when you're the one who's openly taunting me right now!" Harry snapped, pointing his hand at Ron's chocolate which was now melting in his clenched fist.

"What did I do?" Ron yelled. "I was just sitting here and eating. If you wanted something, you should have bought it."

Harry growled and was so close to punching him in the face when Hermione rested a hand on Ron's arm, getting his attention. "Didn't you pay attention to what Professor Lupin taught us this year? About werewolves?"

"Um..." Ron mumbled. "I forgot. We learn a lot of stuff!" he said in embarrassment when Hermione levelled him with a hard stare.

"Honestly, Ronald. I can't believe you forgot this," she sighed. The boy's eyes widened and she explained. "Werewolves are allergic to chocolate, remember? It makes them violently ill. And you're sitting here eating a chocolate frog, of all the things, in front of Harry."

"Of all the people," Harry added with narrowed eyes. 

Ron looked down at the frog in his hands and gave a sheepish look to both of them, opening the compartment window and throwing the rest of it out. "Better?" 

"It's still all over your hands," Harry mumbled.

"Oh," Ron looked down at himself and went to wipe it on his clothes when Harry shook his head.

"Go wash up in the toilets," he rolled his eyes. 

"Be right back," Ron mumbled and ran out the compartment. 

"Please, take your time," Harry said when he was out of earshot. 

He proceeded to sit quietly, staring aimlessly out the window and not taking any notice of Hermione's uncomfortable shifting as she thought of what to say to break the awkward silence that had engulfed the compartment.

"Do you know when the trial will be?" she asked after a moments consideration.

Harry looked at her with narrowed eyes and shook his head. "No, neither of us do. However, Sirius told me that it should be soon. The Minister and Dumbledore both want Pettigrew locked up as soon as possible. He conspired with Voldemort, nobody should be forgiven for that. I just hope they get Sirius the justice he deserves. It's only fair," he said seriously. 

"I agree," Hermione nodded. "It must be awful being kept locked up in prison for twelve years for something you didn't do. Especially after all the events that took place during the war with You-Know-Who."

"Yes _Granger_ , we don't need a recap," he said venomously, spitting out her surname like acid from his mouth.

She turned red in embarrassment and looked down at her hands as he stared her down, feeling a tad guilty that she'd brought up some bad memories from the past. Of course it would be a sensitive subject. That was the moment that scarred both Sirius and Harry for life.

Sirius must have suffered terribly in Azkaban all these years to know that not only had his best friends been murdered, but one of his other closest friends was responsible for it. Then to top it all off, getting thrown into prison for something he didn't do with the thought that he'd never be able to see his own godson again and be able to protect him. To be the last remaining family member he needed, the one that could teach him ways of the Wizarding World and tell him stories of his parents.

She mumbled an apology but he just huffed and looked back out the window, ignoring Ron when he walked back in and closed his eyes, drifting off into a nap for the rest of the train ride.

* * *

"Snuffles!" Harry yelled happily as he stepped off the train and onto the platform after a boring four hour ride. He separated from Ron and Hermione the second the train came to a stop, not wanting to spend any more time with them than necessary. Sirius was his priority now. He saw the black shaggy dog he now recognised as his godfather in his Animagus form and the dog barked at him, running over and jumping up whilst licking him. "I missed you, too."

Harry held his trunk in one hand and had Nessie coiled happily around him. He went back to the train to collect Hedwig where he knew the owls stayed and she coo'd at him before delicately flying towards him and landing on his arm. He smiled at her kindly and went back to the dog who was waiting for him patiently. 

"What now, Snuffles?" Harry asked the dog.

The dog nodded his head in the direction of a solid wall on the platform, one in which they were to run through and Harry got the message, letting the dog go through first before following after. They both found themselves in the middle of London and Harry beamed, excited to see all the big buildings and flashy lights. Despite the fact that it was muggle, he still found it all interesting. The Dursleys never let him out of their house to sightsee, never took him on their holidays. He was either in the garden doing the weeds or in the cupboard as a prisoner.

The shaggy dog looked up at him and wagged his tail, obviously pleased to see some happiness on his face. They began walking through the city quickly, Harry following the lead of 'Snuffles' as he lead him to their home, which Sirius called Grimmauld Place.

The name didn't necessarily have a nice ring to it. It sounded quite depressing, perhaps it had to do with the fact that it had grim in the name. Also, the way Sirius often spoke of the place in letters was an indicator that it wasn't the nicest of locations. They had a plan to tear it all down, piece by piece and redecorate it the way they both liked. Something homey. 

He told Harry that his mother and father would be rolling in their graves, cursing him from the beyond if they found out his grand plans on what he was going to do with the Black ancestral home and that just made the man all the more eager to do so. 

After a hurried fifteen minute walk, they reached a darkened street with high rise buildings all lined up in rows. They were pretty run down looking flats made with old bricks and Harry was surprised people were actually living in them. The dog looked around to make sure they were alone and changed back into Sirius.

"Thank Merlin I can use two legs again. Feels more natural," Sirius smiled. "Although, I'm a much quicker runner as Padfoot," he whispered.

Harry smiled and looked to the high buildings. "Is this where you live? You said you live in a magical house. This is all muggle."

"Wait for it," Sirius said with a devilish grin as they stopped in front of another muggle building. Sirius waved his wand at it and somehow, the building started to split apart, tearing into two pieces and revealing a secret one within. "Ta-da! Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

"Your rich Pureblood supremacist parents seriously thought it would be a great idea to hide their super secret magical home between muggle buildings?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "How did they not burst into flames?"

Sirius let out a loud laugh. "Believe me, there were many cases of it nearly happening. I wish it actually did," he said as he led Harry inside. "But, despite their hatred of muggles and where the location of their home was, one good quality did come from it."

"Oh?"

"Nobody would suspect a wizard or witch to ever live here," Sirius told him. "Everyone thinks that magicals like to get their own private properties so they can be safer, and that's mostly true. Like the Weasleys, for example. Even the Malfoys," he said with a hint of distaste, continuing on. "But, who would ever think that Pureblooded wizards would ever shack up with muggles in their neighbourhood? Not many people."

"So, it's the perfect hiding place," Harry said in understanding.

"Exactly. Hidden in plain sight, as the muggles say. There's also something you need to know," Sirius said as he led the boy to the kitchen, making him some tea. "This is by far one of the most heavily warded places in all of Britain." Harry's eyes went wide at that. "The wards are practically impenetrable and the Trace goes undetected here, due to that."

"So... This means I can use underage magic?" Harry asked slowly. 

Sirius shrugged. "By law, you shouldn't. But, you're most definetly not going to get caught doing it in this building. So..." he smirked. "As long as you know what you're doing, by all means, go right ahead. It might help you stay ahead of all your peers, too. It certinally did with me."

Harry smiled widely and nodded, although he still felt that deep sadness that he'd need to get a new wand first. 

"Another thing to mention," he said as he handed Harry his tea and started making his own. "Despite how hard I've tried to fix the issue, this place is still completely riddled with Dark Magic. It's hundreds of years old and only the worst kinds of wizards and witches have habituated this place and used magic for malicious purposes. Probably right in this very kitchen," Sirius cringed. 

"Definitely explains the name," Harry mumbled into his teacup as he took a sip.

Sirius nodded. "I beg of you Harry, don't go exploring too far, okay? Not until I can figure out how to get rid of all the crap that's in this place. Only stick to the places I tell you are safe because I don't want you running into something dangerous and getting hurt," he said worriedly. "There are plenty of dark artifacts hidden in many rooms of this building. I've stumbled across several of them in my lifetime. There's even Boggarts so be ready with your wand if you have to."

Harry's eyes went wide at that and he sat up straighter. It wasn't the fact that Sirius was telling him the place had been lived in by previous dark wizards and witches or the fact that it currently hosted many illegal and deadly dark artifacts that scared him. He was fine with that. But, the thought of seeing a Boggart scared him most. He didn't want another run in with a Dementor. He desperately needed to get a new wand, as soon as possible.

"I need to tell you something," he said hurriedly, not wanting to beat around the bush. Sirius nodded and Harry took his wand out of his holster, putting it on the table. "My wand... It doesn't work for me anymore. I think I need a new one."

Sirius blinked at him and eyed the wand. "What do you mean? You got your wand at Ollivanders, didn't you?"

Harry sighed. "Yes, when I was eleven. But, I suppose my magic must have changed or something over the past year. Perhaps it's a puberty thing, I'm not sure," he shrugged. "But, no matter what I do or how hard I try, it no longer works for me. Watch." He picked up his wand and gave it a quick swish and flick, attempting to levitate his teacup but getting no results. 

The longer he held the wand, the more it seemed to burn his hand and he put it down on the table with a thump, wincing slightly and rubbing his palm soothingly. It felt as if the wand were rejecting him, trying to keep him as far away from it as possible. He remembers what Death said, that he may as well just snap it as it would be of no use to him.

Heartbroken, he looks back up at Sirius who's eyes are wide.

"I've never seen anything like that before. I mean, I've heard of some people needing new wands as they get older and their magic changes, or sometimes they might go through something seriously traumatic to make it happen, but it usually doesn't occur until adulthood. I've never heard of it happening to a child," the man frowned. "The wands never seem to cause them any amounts of pain or discomfort, either. They're just useless."

"Well, I guess I'm just a rare case," Harry joked. 

"Hmm," Sirius hummed. "Like we didn't already know that, pup. But, Ollivander will sort you out, don't worry about it," he smiled.

"Okay," Harry agreed. 

They sat and drank their tea for a while, discussing how they've each been feeling recently and what their expectations are for the upcoming trial in which they're positive Sirius will get pardoned. Eventually, after Sirius had given Hedwig some nice owl treats and Harry let her fly free throughout the large building to spread her wings, the man decided to show him where his bedroom was.

"Through this way and up these stairs," Sirius said as he led him through a dark hallway. "Although, I must warn you of-"

"FILTHY MUDBLOODS! TAINTING MY HOUSE WITH YOUR VILENESS! YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED!" a horrid screeching voice rang out through the hall. Harry covered his ears and grit his teeth, the shrieking giving him a headache. "YOU DESERVE TO BE FLAYED ALIVE, ALL OF YOU! CURSED INTO OBLIVION! YOUR FILTH AND DIRT BETTER NOT STEP ANY FURTHER INTO THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK!"

"-her. I must warn you of her," Sirius growled whilst pointing at a large portrait, the one that was currently screaming. 

"Who is that?" Harry asked in shock.

"That would be my saint of a mother," the man said bitterly and walked over to the portrait with a livid expression. "Hello, mother."

"Sirius! Of course it is you, how could it not be?" the woman in the painting spat at him. "Always causing trouble."

"Yes, that's me. The one who's _clearly_ causing a ruckus and being rude," Sirius said sarcastically. 

"Don't try to be humorous, Sirius. It's one of your undignified qualities that I'd always hope you'd grow out of. Clearly I was wrong! Where you learned that from, I'll never know," the woman scoffed. "It was probably from that ridiculous Potter boy, wasn't it? That family was never any good!" she spat.

"Just because you and father never had a sense of humour doesn't mean I couldn't have one," Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Sorry if I didn't want to spend all my time learning proper etiquette, dressing up fancy, going to balls and preaching your Pureblooded supremacy views, too."

The woman shook her head in disappointment. "Why couldn't you just be more like Regulus? He was always such a good boy, never did anything wrong. Whereas, you bring mudbloods and blood traitors into our family home, defile it like it's nothing sacred!" she yelled angrily. "Who is that tiny boy with you? He doesn't look like anything impressive."

Harry glowered whilst Sirius' gaze hardened. "That would be my godson. And yes, he's a Potter. Can you believe it?" Sirius said with pride evident in his voice. The woman gasped and clutched a hand to her chest. "Also, he lives here now with me. Indefinitely."

"You dare bring scum like him into our ancestral _palace_ and let him stay?! If I were alive, I'd use all the deadliest curses on you I could muster!" she yelled.

Sirius clenched his fists. "You and father already did all of that to me growing up. I'm used to it," he grit out. 

"Nothing you didn't deserve, little brat!" the woman snapped.

Sirius rolled his eyes and clutched the red curtain that hung above her portrait. "I've got to go, mother. Harry and I are going to get settled in and then we're going to strip this awful place down to pieces and redecorate it. We're thinking white and cream colours," he smirked then forcibly shut the curtain over her.

"HOW DARE YOU VANDALISE OUR NOBLE HOME! KREACHER WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! HE'LL MAKE YOU PAY, DEARLY! THE DARK LORD SHOULD HAVE TAKEN YOU OUT, TOO! GOOD FOR NOTHING!" her voice rang out behind the fabric. He and Harry quickly ran up the stairs, ignoring the rest of her screams.

"Sorry about that," Sirius said when they were on another floor above. "She just gets beneath my skin."

"She's a piece of work," Harry nodded. "My aunt is exactly the same, just muggle version."

Sirius eyed him in sympathy and rested a hand gently on his shoulder in comfort, giving it a squeeze before leading him down the hall to where his new room will be. 

"This is all yours. Sorry about the mess but once everything is all cleaned up, you can decorate it however you want," the man smiled brightly. 

"I love it!" Harry said genuinely. He didn't care that the room had old torn up furniture in it and the wooden floors were coming up, the wallpaper on the walls were peeling and there was still a small amount of dust everywhere. This whole place was incredibly old so of course it would take a while to clean everything up perfectly. 

At least this room didn't have bars on the windows. At least it wasn't a cupboard. At least it wasn't the Dursleys. It was messy but it was all his. His to do whatever he wanted with it. He turned to Sirius and gave him a hug, enjoying the feel of the man wrapping his strong arms back around him and laughing into his hair.

"I'm glad," Sirius said. "Well, I'll let you get settled in. If there's a grumpy little elf that comes in here and bothers you or insults you, just tell me or kick him out."

"Who would that be?" Harry asked curiously.

"You heard my mother mention Kreacher?" Harry nodded. "That's the Black's ever faithful house elf. He's been around for... I don't know how long. Too long," Sirius scowled. "I tried setting him free but dear, sweet, old Walburga had a tantrum and Kreacher flat out refused. He blasted me back against the wall and nearly broke my neck."

"Jeez."

"House elves can be pretty powerful," Sirius told him. "Don't go anywhere near Kreacher unless you have to," he said seriously. "That elf is a menace. He's loyal to my mother even after death. But, considering I'm the heir to the household and family line, he has to obey me, although he hates it."

"Why don't you just tell him to leave you alone?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Why do you think?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"He hates you because your mother does," Harry clarified. 

"Yes. It's still his sole purpose to make my life miserable and now you're here, I know he'll try to do the same to you. I've had a talk with him, though. I'm trying to convince him to listen to you and take your orders if you need them. So far, it hasn't been too successful," Sirius sighed.

Harry grinned and dumped his trunk onto his new bed. "It's okay. I have Nessie as good company," he said and let her slither down from his body and onto the bed. She complained about being woken from her deep sleep and he rolled his eyes at her dramatics, giving her a quick apologetic pat. 

"Perhaps, she could scare him a little bit," Sirius chuckled. "It wouldn't hurt too bad to have that devious little thing spooked every now and then."

Harry snorted at his comment and the fact that Nessie was agreeing enthusiastically to the idea. Soon, the man left him alone to unpack his trunk and Harry turned to his companion who was lounging lazily on the bed. 

**"Think we'll have fun here, Ness?"** he asked her, already knowing the answer.

 **"If I can scare little creatures and chase them, I'd say yes,"** she told him happily.

 **"Me too,"** he agreed with her silly antics. Although, his reason for enjoying his stay was much different. It involved finally being able to live with family and that made his heart flutter quicker than it ever had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you like what you read <3
> 
> I didn't abandon this, I promise!! to explain my absence, basically some family members got sick from covid and it was a stressful time, yikes. I've also been dealing with my own shitty medical issues but I'm better now! Plus I'm in the UK and we're in another lockdown :/ everything is just crap right now. But I've found the time to write again :D


	2. The Use Of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting a new wand, a letter from the Ministry and finding an interesting artefact.

He woke up the next day feeling refreshed and well rested in the big four poster bed, his back and joints not in pain like they usually are when he sleeps in the manky and rock hard bed the Dursleys begrudgingly gave him. It was already a great start to the summer holidays.

He got himself washed up and dressed, stumbling down the stairs and sneaking past the curtain covered portrait of Walburga Black, careful to not wake her and entered the kitchen, finding Sirius drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. 

The man looked up when he spotted Harry and smiled. "Hey pup, sleep well?"

"Yeah. Those beds are super comfy," Harry nodded and sat down across from him.

Sirius chuckled at him. "I could tell you were in a pretty deep sleep. I went to check on you this morning to see if you wanted breakfast but you were passed out cold and dribbling spit onto your pillow," he teased.

"Oh, dear God," Harry moaned in embarrassment, turning slightly pink. "I was?"

"Yep. No matter, though. You look well and good so that's all that matters," Sirius said whilst handing him a cup of tea. 

"I feel good," Harry agreed and sipped his tea. 

Sirius looked pleased and gestured to the food on the table. "Help yourself to anything. The more you eat, the better. At least I'll know you're getting your vitamins and protein," he told him. "A growing boy needs his food."

Harry shrugged and proceeded to fill his plate with eggs, bacon, sausages, beans and slices of toast, all of which would put Ronald Weasley to shame if he attempted this, however it gained a proud smile from the older man.

"Good lad," he said and went back to reading. 

As Harry ate, he gazed over at the paper the man was reading and saw the pictures moving, assuming it must be the Daily Prophet.

"What are you reading?" he asked around a bite of toast.

Sirius turned the paper around to show him the contents and Harry realised he was right. "Just looking through the papers to see if they've posted anything about the trial yet."

"Anything pop up?"

"Not that I can see," Sirius mumbled with a frown. 

"What's taking them so long?" Harry asked. "The Minister knows you're innocent. Why can't he just print that out on the papers already?"

"I'm not sure why either, pup. Something will pop up soon, I'm sure of it," Sirius reassured him. "Until then, when we go out I'll still have to be Padfoot."

"You mean Snuffles," Harry smirked.

Sirius rolled his eyes playfully. "Sure. Despite the fact that the name sounds like something that belongs to a flipping chihuahua."

Harry let out a laugh and went back to eating his breakfast, Sirius sipping his coffee across from him. The silence that settled over them wasn't awkward, it was calm and peaceful. He felt comfortable and content, safe in the man's presence and thoroughly enjoyed his company. 

The silence was eventually broken by the sound of hissing coming from the doorway which had Sirius blinking in confusion and Harry listening in.

**"I smelled food,"** Nessie said whilst looking up at the table. **"I like food."**

**"Here you go, girl. You like sausages, have one of mine,"** he said whilst offering her one of the biggest ones. She snatched it out of his hand quickly and hissed a quick thanks before slithering off with it. 

"That's still pretty brilliant that you can do that," Sirius said whilst resting his head in his palm. "How did you discover you could do that?"

Harry thought carefully. "Well, when I was younger before I came to Hogwarts, I would be out in the garden and getting rid of the weeds for the Dursleys but one day I came across a little snake and he started hissing to me. It confused me so much but then I started speaking back to him and we formed a little bit of a friendship. I took him out into the woods to get away from all the people who might hurt him and visited him from time to time."

"Where is he now?" Sirius asked.

"Probably still in the woods back in Surrey," Harry said casually. "I haven't visited him in a while but I'm sure he's fine. He wanted to build himself a little home and that's where he was at the time. He was the one who told me I was a Parselmouth and explained why I was smelling and hearing all these new sensations. It was because I'd just been... turned back then," he clenched his fists. 

"You mean turned into a werewolf?" Sirius asked gently. 

Harry nodded once. "Yes. He sensed it and it all began to make sense to me, too." He let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes, willing his brain to prevent a headache from coming on. It was as if Sirius could tell he didn't want to talk about it because he gave him a kind smile and said nothing more which he appreciated. 

He just hated talking about his lycanthropy, therefor he decided to joke around as a distraction. "I definetly knew I was a Parselmouth when I set a massive boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo, one time. On his birthday, too."

Sirius laughed along with him and the tension lightened considerably. 

"Some birthday," the man snorted. 

"I know. Definitely one he'll remember," Harry smirked. He wanted to joke and say that even his birthdays have been better than that but it would obviously be a blatant lie. He's never even celebrated his birthday before, not properly. He wouldn't voice this out loud, though. The humiliation would destroy him and he thinks Sirius would go over to the Dursleys and murder them. 

He'd be right back in prison before he'd even be declared innocent.

"So, I was thinking that we could do something important today," Sirius' voice broke him out of his thoughts. "If you feel up to it."

"Like what?"

"Well, you said you needed a new wand and a wizard can't go too long without one. It's how we channel our magic and unfortunately, it can manifest itself as accidental magic if we don't get you one soon," Sirius explained. "We don't want you getting into any accidents or getting hurt, do we? Especially in this hellhole."

Harry shook his head and felt a tad more hopeful. "Where will I get one? You can't go out in public with me yet," he frowned. "You'd have to sneak out as my pet dog Snuffles if we go to Ollivanders."

"Then that's exactly what I'll do," Sirius smiled. "Ollivander will surely fix you up with something that'll be just right, I promise. He always does."

"I hope so," Harry sighed. "When will we leave?"

"I was thinking we could perhaps go whenever you finish your breakfast," Sirius shrugged. "No rush."

Harry took one last big bite full of his eggs and drank the last of his tea quickly, looking to Sirius with enthusiasm. "Finished."

* * *

Diagon Alley was as busy as usual, people rushing around everywhere whilst trying to get to the bank or shops. Despite the fact that he had a strength advantage, everyone else was still much taller than him and that made things difficult when he tried to move through large crowds. It was even more difficult when he was trying to do so with a dog by his side.

"Get out of the way!" he snapped to a large man, shoving him roughly to the side and getting a glare in return. "Move it, lady!" he snapped to the woman in front of him who was walking at a snails pace.

"So rude," the woman scolded him as he stormed past her. He shot nasty daggers her way and she recoiled, holding back whatever retort she had to say next.

"Honestly Snuffles," Harry whispered to the dog who was keeping up beside him. "Don't people understand the word 'move' or the phrase 'you better get the hell out of my way right now before I curse you?'"

The dog barked and shook his head at him, letting out a huff.

"Alright, alright," Harry threw up his hands. "It was a tiny bit rude, I'll admit," he mumbled. "They still deserved it, though."

The dog huffed again and gestured his head towards the direction of Ollivanders which was in the distance, speeding up quicker. Harry followed behind him, ducking under people's arms and slipping past other's, sighing in relief when he reached the small shop.

He pushed the door open for the dog to go through and followed him in, ringing the bell that sat on the countertop and coughing slightly at the dust that lay around.

"Mr Potter!" Ollivander's voice called out cheerily. "What a pleasant surprise. And you've brought a little friend."

The dog barked and Harry gave him an affectionate pat. "Thank you. This is my dog, Snuffles. Don't worry, he doesn't bite," he said when he noticed the old man eyeing the dog with a suspicious look, one that he couldn't decipher.

"An interesting name for an interesting dog," the man said after a moment. He then turned back to him with a bright smile and clasped his hands on the countertop. "How can I be of assistance?"

Harry quickly took his wand out of his jacket pocket, ignoring the burning in his hand and placed it in front of the man, looking down at it with longing. "My wand, it's broken."

"Oh dear, let me see. Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches long, I remember. Yes, I'm sure I can have it fixed in no time," Ollivander said as he picked it up and studied it.

"You can't fix it," Harry said. "It's broken beyond repair."

"No wand is broken beyond repair, Mr Potter," Ollivander smiled. "I promise you I can have this fixed up in a jiffy." As Harry shifted uncomfortably on the spot, the man's face went from curious as he studied the wand to sceptical. "Are you sure it's broken? It looks to be in perfect condition to me."

"Maybe it's me that's broken then," Harry muttered. The dog barked and whined, licking at his hand comfortingly. "It doesn't work for me anymore. It refuses to accept me as it's owner."

"Really?" Ollivander asked, eyes wide. "How very, very curious indeed..." he trailed off with a frown. "You're only thirteen, am I correct?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, nearly fourteen. I was recently told by someone that wands can change allegiances with people, reject their owners if their magic changes."

"That is absolutely correct. But, these things don't happen until the wizard or witch reaches adulthood at age seventeen when their magical core has fully developed and it's able to fully make it's own decisions," Ollivander said. "For a wand to deny access to it's owner at such a young age, it makes me think of what could possibly have happened to the wizard's magical core."

"So, you're saying it's my fault?" Harry asked in bewilderment. He felt slightly offended at the insinuation. It's not as if he chose to die and have Death mess with his soul and magic like he did.

"Not at all," Ollivander said. "This is just a theory. Anything could have happened to cause this. I know you most certainly didn't plan for this to happen, nobody does." The man put down the wand and turned around, heading into the back of the store for a minute before coming back with a handful of boxes. "Let's see what suits you, hmm?"

Harry nodded and began looking through the selection of wands, trying to see if he felt a pull towards any of them like he did with his holly one, yet he felt nothing. This didn't stop Ollivander from thrusting wands into his hand every chance he could, however.

"Here. Maple wood and Phoenix feather core. Well, don't just stand there, take it," he said whilst waving the wand in Harry's face.

He reluctantly took it and gave it a small wave, the boxes on the shelves all crashing to the floor violently. "Sorry," he said with no genuine care, the wand in his hand heating up slightly and making him wince.

"Quite alright. It happens," Ollivander said and snatched the wand from him. "Try this one. Ebony and Phoenix feather."

Yet again, the wand burned his hand and when he gave it another swish and flick, the shop window exploded into a thousand pieces.

"Nope! Definitely not that one, either," Ollivander said. He looked through the wands again and picked up another one, shoving it into his hand. "Give that one a try. Walnut and Phoenix feather."

Harry sighed and waved it gently, unintentionally blowing a massive hole in the wooden floor as if he'd cast a Bombarda spell in the middle of the shop.

The wand stung his palm and he winced again, throwing it down quickly on the countertop and rubbing it where it was sore.

"Interesting... It seems we have definitely ruled out Phoenix feather," Ollivander said with a small frown, looking down at his right palm where a red mark was now beginning to form from all the burning. "Which is odd considering what I told you that very day you bought your holly wand in my shop, do you remember?"

"You said that my wand and Voldemort's shared the same core," Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Brother wands," Ollivander hummed. He was silent for a moment before pursing his lips, a small look of disappointment crossing his face. "No matter, things change. We'll find something for you."

Harry didn't care about Voldemort's stupid wand which coincidentally had the same core as his old one. What occupied his mind right now was the fact that he distinctly remembers what Death told him.

He said that his wand wouldn't work for him and he may as well just snap it because his magic was going to be readjusted. He didn't really pay much attention to what that meant, all he cared about at that moment was leaving the Afterlife and coming back to life. He'd agree to anything the omen said if it meant he'd get to live again. But, now he realises Death was right.

Something had clearly happened to his magic and now nothing is going right. He can't do magic the way he wishes to. It seems to stem from his core and his wand. And he has a definite feeling it has something to do with what Ollivander said, something about Phoenixes. But, what exactly? 

He remembers back in his second year when Tom Riddle tried to come back to life through the diary and Fawkes came to the rescue. His song, which was apparently supposed to sound beautiful, sounded horrific and gave him the most ear piercing pain he'd ever heard. Even Riddle had thought he'd gone mad when he saw him flinch and he's the Dark Lord.

Ollivander spent the next ten minutes going through different wands with him and Harry was getting ready to just give in and walk away, although Snuffles looked up at him and wagged his tail in encouragement and Ollivander just looked over excited.

"The most tricky customer I've had in a very long time," the man chuckled. Harry didn't see the humour in it but kept his mouth shut. "Out of curiosity's sake, try this one."

He handed Harry a long black wand which had glittering silvery lines going through it in an intricate pattern. He felt pulled towards it and when he held it, instead of burning his palm, it soothed it comfortingly.

"Oh, yes. Now we're finally getting somewhere," Ollivander clapped his hands. "How do you feel, Mr Potter?"

"It feels like it's calling out to me," Harry said honestly.

"Perfect," the man nodded. "That's what we like to hear."

The dog barked and wagged his tail quickly, running around in circles making Harry smile. He looked to Ollivander. "What kind of wand is this?"

"This is a very unique wand," the man said in a hushed voice. "I've never sold anything quite like this before. Well, at least not in a _long_ time and it was hardly as impressive as this."

"Oh?"

"Twelve inches long. The wood is Silver Lime and is often associated with witches and wizards who have the potential or already have the ability to become fantastic Seers or talented Legilimens. Very skilled in the Mind Arts, indeed." He gave Harry an intrigued look before continuing on. "The core is Thestral hair and it's often associated with very strong and powerful wizards who have a connection with death. Whether they've witnessed it or have accepted it." He gazed at Harry again and he felt awkward under the intense staring.

"How interesting," Harry mumbled. "Um, how much?"

Ollivander blinked and smiled at him casually. "Seven Galleons, if you please."

Harry handed over the money quickly and tucked his old wand back into his coat pocket whilst slipping his new wand into his arm holster safely. He waved goodbye to Ollivander and hurried quickly out the shop with the dog trailing behind him, deciding to not help clean up his destruction of his shop.

He didn't hear Ollivander mumble as he walked through the street due to the loud noise of the busy crowd surrounding him.

"What are you, Harry Potter?" the man murmured to himself as he gazed after the boy. "What will you be?"

* * *

"I think that went pretty well, don't you?" Sirius said when they were back home at Grimmauld Place.

"Apart from Ollivander's creepy staring as usual, I'd agree. I feel a little bad about blowing up his shop but he kept shoving so many wands in my face, I got overwhelmed," Harry said.

Sirius shrugged. "It happens, don't worry about it. A flick of the wand will have it fixed in a few seconds. Speaking of which..." he trailed off and gestured towards his new wand with a grin.

Harry plucked it out his holster and looked down at the pillow that was on the couch they were sitting on. "Promise I won't get into trouble for this?"

"Swear on my life."

Harry nodded and cast a charm to levitate the pillow, surprised when it floated high into the air instantly. He beamed and looked to Sirius happily. "It works!"

"Told you you'd be fine," the man encouraged. "Feel free to use as much magic as you wish in the household. Just remember, you can't use magic outside because the Trace will be activated and you'll get a Ministry letter. I don't want you getting expelled," Sirius said.

Harry nodded even though he already knew. He then remembered something important, something he'd read a while back in one of his... not so appropriate books. It explained how the Trace worked and how there were sneaky ways to bypass it without anyone - even the Ministry - knowing.

"Don't worry, Sirius. I'll be extremely careful, I promise," he smiled innocently.

"Good," the man patted him on the shoulder. "I knew you would, you're a very clever kid."

Harry beamed at the compliment, happy to have received praise. He liked making his godfather proud.

* * *

He was sitting on his large bed which thankfully had much less dust on it than usual due to hours of hard cleaning with Sirius and the help of one nasty house elf, wand out and door locked from the inside.

He had cast a Silencing Charm on the room to give himself a tad more privacy and then had his wand pointed to his body, remembering the incantation.

"Remove," he began, running the wand slowly up and down his chest. "Remove," he repeated, waving the wand over his head and feeling a slight tingling sensation. "Remove," he said for the last time, aiming the wand at his legs and cancelled the spell. For a second, his whole body from head to toe was engulfed in tiny tingles before disappearing. Obviously this meant the spell had worked and the Trace had now been removed from his wand and therefore synced to his core.

He was not only thrilled that he could do magic all together but outside of school was a bonus. It would come in handy if he ever required it, Ministry rules be damned.

They were so stupid, anyway. If he were working there or even Minister, he'd have so many rules about magic changed. For example, underage magic would be allowed in wizards and witches. If it's acceptable for them to use it freely in school, why not outside? After all, the adults can do it, so it hardly seems fair.

Another example would be that any and all forms of magic should be taught. Especially, in Defence Against The Dark Arts class. He knows that they learn about the Unforgivable Curses in their later years. However, if that's appropriate then why not anything else, such as the kind of magic that exists in books people are too scared to go near? The books that exist in Knockturn Alley.

There's nothing wrong with learning about dark curses. It's not as if the students have to practice them, just learn the theory, the information. In the long run, it could benefit them all greatly. What if there was an attack with a dark wizard? If someone they cared about got hit with a dark curse and was bleeding out and desperately needed help?

If nobody learned about these types of spells, their friend would end up dying. But, if they knew how to identify the type of spell they'd been hit by, they could figure out the cure or even the countercurse if there is one.

He sighed and tucked his wand back in his holster, knowing that it was silly to even consider these thoughts. Everyone was too frigid and uppity about these sorts of things. They'd never take him seriously, they'd think him mad, which _isn't_ true. He's just smarter than the average person and more open minded.

But, there's closed off people like Hermione Granger who would be outraged at such an idea if he were to mention it. Ronald Weasley who would probably be disgusted and have a few choice words to say on the matter. McGonagall would certainly give him a verbal lashing. He knows Dumbledore would keep a close watch on him, he thinks he already does, based on the fact that he was trying to compare him to Tom Riddle in his office that one time and expose him as a Parselmouth.

He doesn't think Severus would be too concerned, just a bit curious at his opinions. Wonder why he thought that and what brought it on. Maybe, the man would agree with him to some extent and that's good enough for him.

Sirius would most likely be stunned, shocked at his words. He knows the man wouldn't ever hate him or disown him for anything he said or did. He's made that abundantly clear. But, based on his upbringing, he'd probably be wondering why his opinions match that of his family. He might blame himself, feel guilty, as if he'd put these ideas in his head by exposing him to Grimmuald Place. He wouldn't allow that, he's too good a person to feel that way.

Nope, best to keep it all to himself, he thinks dejectedly.

There was a sudden crack that had him startled for a second and then the tiresome house elf Kreacher appeared in his room, glaring at him.

"Master Sirius wishes to see you downstairs," the elf grumbled.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry nodded. Despite the fact that the elf irritated him beyond belief, he still respected house elves greatly. He understood them in a personal way, how some of them were bound to horrid people and treated like slaves. Dobby sprung to mind and he remembers how the Malfoys had treated him. Or, at least Lucius Malfoy.

It gave him flashbacks to his time at the Dursley's, being treated like nothing more than a slave. A house elf bound in servitude to horrible owners. At least he and Dobby were free now, that's what matters.

Kreacher pushed his buttons, however. It was incredibly hard to maintain a level of respect with him as all he wanted to do was scream and kick him in the face. Especially, when he constantly got called filthy blood slurs.

"Stinking up the place," the elf scowled at his retreating back, "with your disgusting presence. You'd be better off in the streets where you belong."

Harry clenched his fists and walked out the door, ignoring the teasing words from the elf and hurried downstairs to find Sirius waiting for him at the table in the kitchen, holding another newspaper.

"What's up, Sirius? Kreacher said you needed me?" he asked and sat down across from him.

Sirius beamed at him and threw the Daily Prophet his way for him to read.

_** ** _

_ **Sirius Black To Go On Trial** _

_We all know the infamous name Sirius Black, the one and only person to have knowingly escaped Azkaban Prison, the most highly guarded wizarding prison in the world._

_How he did so is still a mystery to us all, but we just know that it must have taken extreme dedication and effort which evidently paid off._

_However, was his escape really for malicious reasons like we all first suspected? The answer is no._

_As it turns out, after much deliberation these past few weeks, the Ministry have now realised that Black was not after the young schoolboy Harry Potter as we all assumed. He was indeed trying to capture an old schoolyard friend of his own, one who turned traitor during the reign of You-Know-Who's war. The name of that old friend is Peter Pettigrew._

_We know what you must be thinking. Pettigrew died during the Wizarding War by Black's hand over a decade ago, but this is in fact a lie. Pettigrew has manipulated and deceived us all, remaining in an Animagus form - a garden rat - for twelve years whilst Black was falsely imprisoned._

_To officially get to the bottom of this all, Black will be put on trial along with Pettigrew and we will get all the answers we need. Hopefully, soon this whole situation can be resolved properly and justice can be served to the person who deserves it._

_The trial will take place on the 26th June at the Ministry with several Ministry workers and Minister Fudge to testify. Headmaster Dumbledore, some Professors at the school and several students of Hogwarts shall also be joining to give their statements as they were witness to the events that took place the night of Pettigrew's reveal._

"Sirius, this is great!" Harry smiled widely. The man nodded enthusiastically. "But, this is in a week. Do you have enough time to prepare for it all?"

"I've been preparing myself for this moment since we first caught Pettigrew with our bare hands and handed him over," Sirius said. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Besides, they'll probably use Veritaserum on us just to get the answers anyway."

"I suppose," Harry muttered. "Shouldn't I have gotten a letter about this, though? I assume they meant for me to be a witness, right? You, too."

Right at that moment, an owl flew into the room through the window and quickly dumped two letters onto the table before taking off again. Harry didn't question how it got here as Sirius explained that owls could always discover where magical or muggle homes resided, without even being tracked. It was a type of magic that nobody could fully understand, just like elf magic or goblin magic.

"I think that'll be the letters," Sirius chuckled and picked them up, scanning them with a quick nod. Harry tore into his and read it quickly, noticing it was from the Minister, demanding more than asking that he be there at the time and place he requested. 

"It'll all be fine," he said. "If they really do use the truth serum on you and Pettigrew, everything will spill and he'll be tossed into prison quickly. You'll be a free man in no time and you won't have to keep sneaking out as a dog anymore."

"And then I can keep you here without anyone wondering if I'm going to kill you," Sirius smirked. 

"Oh yes, death by Snuffles the dog. What are you going to do to me? Lick me to death?" Harry snorted and got a playful poke in the ribs.

"I'll gladly do that in my human form, don't test me pup," Sirius joked.

"Gross," Harry cringed.

"Oh, hush, You still love me," Sirius said cockily.

"Yeah, I do," Harry said softly.

Sirius ruffled his hair and smiled at him. "I know. I love you too, pup. Always will."

* * *

They were casting multiple Cleaning Charms repeatedly over the furniture, most of it looking pretty decent by now after days of non stop work. Both of them had planned to clean up as much furniture as they could and then sell it for decent prices at muggle antique shops, seeing as they didn't want anyone in the wizarding world to have any Black relics. Plus, Sirius knew it would drive Walburga insane to know their priceless and ancient properties were going to end up in the hands of common muggles.

Harry was on board with the idea, understanding that their furniture, especially the couches, looked very old fashioned and quite Victorian in some aspects, if he were to see if from a muggle's perspective. It was practically an average look for magicals but interesting for non magicals, something that they thought unique and worthy of having in their homes to show off as it isn't stuff they see every day.

It was the sort of furniture that was usually only seen in muggle castles or fancy movies, Harry had explained. 

"Scourgify," Sirius said, getting rid of the dust on an old table they never used. 

Harry pointed his wand at a lone chair sitting in the corner. "Scourgify." He saw there were rips in the material and sighed. "Reparo." 

"Maybe, once we're finally finished with all the furniture, we could tackle the real issue," Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's that?"

"Figuring out how to get my mother's portrait down from the wall," the man said. 

"You can't just take it down yourself?" Harry said confused.

"If I could, I would have done so a long time ago," Sirius said. "But, the wicked woman had to torment us all from beyond the grave and have her portrait hung on the wall with a permanent Sticking Charm."

" _Permanent_?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Exactly what my reaction was when I found out," Sirius grumbled. "Kreacher was the one to tell me when I tried to move her."

"No way can she be stuck there forever. All she does is scream," Harry groaned terribly. "She's going to make us miserable."

"I know," Sirius nodded. "But, don't worry, we'll get some help. I'll ask someone who's really good at magic, trust me."

"Who'll that be?" Harry asked sceptically.

"I was thinking perhaps your old Defence teacher?" Sirius smirked.

"Lupin?" Harry said happily. 

"Yup, Remus," Sirius said. "You two get along, don't you?"

Harry nodded quickly. "Yeah, we do. I haven't heard from him in a little bit. Actually, I haven't heard from anybody in a while," Harry frowned, suddenly realising that he's been isolating himself rather frequently recently. He hasn't been writing to Severus or even Silas and feels a touch of guilt but pushes it down. He has other things to worry about right now.

"You can always write to your friends, there's nothing to stop you," Sirius encouraged gently. 

Harry shook his head. "Nah, maybe some other time. This is more important."

"Housework?" 

"Focusing on your trial!" Harry said. "That's my priority right now. Both of ours."

"You're right," Sirius agreed. "You're clearly the clever one out of the two of us," he chuckled.

Harry stifled a laugh and they continued on with their cleaning for another couple of hours until they got tired. 

"I'm just going to see if there's any small bits of furniture that need a quick flick of the wand upstairs!" Harry shouted as he ran up the staircase. "Be right back!"

"Okay, but be careful!" Sirius shouted back to him.

"I will!" Harry's voice echoed through the hall as he ran off. 

When he reached a couple of floors up, one he hadn't previously visited before, he began looking around carefully for any small chairs or tables that he could Scourgify quickly and be done with it. He didn't see much except a darkly lit hallway and planned on just walking off when suddenly, he felt a massive tug on his magic from behind him. 

He blinked and turned around, noticing a plain wooden door in the distance. He slowly walked towards it and the pull got stronger, his breaths coming in shorter pants. He reached out a hand and rested it on the doorknob, unsure of whether or not it was a good idea to enter but decided to go in anyway. 

He'd done enough questionable things in his life, he'd even took someone else's life. Multiple people's lives. Whatever was on the other side of the door was probably nothing.

When he opened the door, his hands began to tremble and he looked around for the source of the reaction. Automatically, the candles on the walls flared to life and he gulped, getting a distinct feeling as if the room were expecting him. He saw several artifacts in the room, some of them on shelves and all lined up next to each other whilst others were on tables and kept separate. 

He knew for a fact that they were dark artifacts and considering he hadn't researched what these particular ones were, he didn't want to chance anything by touching them.

Just as he planned on leaving, he saw it. A large glass box sitting alone in the back of the room on a table of it's own, far away from everything else and directly underneath candlelight, as if it were something to merely be seen but not touched. However, the pull to his magic said otherwise. Just looking at it had his skin tingling in a delightful way and he didn't feel any kind of danger around this artefact the closer he got to it.

When he appeared in front of the glass, he noticed that it was a beautiful golden necklace hanging from a silver chain with a green serpent in the middle, curved into the shape of an 'S'. 

There was a lock on the side of the glass box and he bit his lip in consideration for a moment before clicking it, undoing the latch. He slowly reached inside and picked up the necklace, holding it delicately in his hands. Something told him that he had to be very careful, treat it as if it were precious and not to be harmed. He felt familiar with it, somehow. As if he'd seen it before or worn it before, but he doesn't remember.

He slipped the necklace around his neck and took in a deep breath, his whole body enveloped in a euphoric sensation that he couldn't describe. He could swear that he heard the distinct sound of a heartbeat, a small _thump... thump... thump... thump..._ as he held the necklace in his hand, but he chalked it up to his own imagination. He'd heard things before and was still trying to get over the trauma that came with that.

He stood there holding it for a few minutes before pulling himself out of his thoughts when his stomach grumbled. He sighed and slipped the necklace off, placing it carefully back in the box and locking it shut. He eyed it curiously again for another minute, trying to decipher what it could possibly be or what it meant when his stomach gave another growl and he huffed. 

Running out the room with as much determination as he could, he headed back downstairs and into the kitchen to start eating dinner with Sirius. 

"Everything go okay?" the man asked him with a smile.

"Yep, everything went great," Harry nodded. "Nothing to see upstairs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you like what you read <3
> 
> Harry finally got his new wand hurray! I personally made him that one myself, through months of research on HP sites and studying wandlore, trying to figure out what would be best for him. I had something else planned at first for his wand type but scrapped it because this opportunity was too good to pass up. Hope you like it :D


	3. Sirius' Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reading The Sacred 28, emotional breakdowns and Sirius having his trial at the Ministry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so difficult to write these days because I keep breaking my technology that I write on, fuck my life. Like, last year it was my phone, then an iPad and now it's a laptop - all of which have delayed me. I'm sorry for this :( I hope the wait was worth it though??? I made the chapter EXTRA long to make up for the break! over 9k words.

"What do you think of this one?" Harry asked, pointing to the brown leather couch on display. "It has fluffy pillows that come with it."

"I suppose it's nice, but it just doesn't feel quite right," Sirius shook his head. "I want something that'll really stand out, be the exact opposite of what that house represents."

Harry bit his lip in thought before scanning the aisles again and landing his eyes on a large, soft white couch with small decorative silver pillows. "What about that one?"

Sirius grinned and nodded. "Now that is what I'm talking about."

Harry smiled and started collecting some pillows into the trolley, continuing on the walk through the store with an enthusiastic Sirius.

For the past couple of days they'd been spending their time in muggle shops such as IKEA, buying lots of new assortments for their house to redecorate. So far, they'd managed to tear down most of the old wallpaper on the downstairs floor and had painted the walls a lovely cream colour.

Most of their cutlery and plates had been thrown away too, all in favour of being replaced with new trendy floral patterned ones.

They were moving onto the bigger things now, such as furniture and both Harry and Sirius were trying their best to pick the most appropriate and fashionable stuff.

So far, it had been going quite well considering one of the shoppers was an ex con of twelve years and the other was a thirteen year old school boy.

After about two hours of looking around and picking things up, they decided to check out and head home with bags full of pillows and even a small golden rug.

"Maybe Remus can help us put the sofa together when it gets delivered," Sirius had said. "I doubt either one of us would have a clue how to do it."

"Why not get Kreacher to do it?" Harry asked.

Sirius snorted sarcastically. "I wouldn't trust him. He'd probably sabotage it so it'd fall apart as soon as we sat on it. Little traitor."

Harry held back a laugh at the thought and just nodded in agreement with the man. It'd be nice to see Remus again, anyway.

When they were finally sitting back in the living room in Grimmuald Place, Harry threw the bags onto an empty seat and kicked his feet up on the old table, rubbing his sore eyes with a soft groan.

"Hey, you okay pup?" Sirius asked him in a soft tone, sitting his bags down too and looking him over.

"Yeah, my head just hurts," Harry muttered. "I'm fine."

Sirius' face pinched slightly and he looked to a newspaper clipping on the table, seeing the date in the corner. "I think we should probably start brewing your Wolfsbane Potion soon."

"Is it that time already?" Harry asked with wide eyes. "Ugh. It felt like just yesterday when it last happened," he muttered.

"I know, kid. Remus always says the same, but believe me when I say that it gets easier as you get older," he comforted.

"That's because we just get used to it," Harry deadpanned. "Not like I have a choice."

"Well..." Sirius scratched the back of his neck. "I suppose so. But, there's coping mechanisms, plenty of them. You'll see."

"I hope you're right," Harry grumbled and sighed. His good mood from earlier was slowly starting to fade and irritability was kicking in. That was always the first sign that the lycanthropy episodes were coming on and he needed to dose himself up with his medicine.

"Why don't you try writing to Snape? See if he can drop some stuff off for you," Sirius said. "Maybe we can even set up a brewing station for you here and you can teach me to make it. You're a prodigy in Potions, aren't you?"

Harry quirked his lips up slightly. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

"See? Go write to him. It'll do you good to talk to him anyway. I don't particularly care for him that much," Sirius rolled his eyes and continued, "but I can tell you do."

"I'll do that soon," Harry agreed. "Besides, the brewing station does sound quite fun."

"Great!" Sirius beamed. "Maybe you could invite your friends over once everything is all settled down. It'll be good for you to see them," he smiled. "You should write to them more often, I'm sure you miss them."

"Maybe," Harry shrugged. He appreciated the fact that Sirius was trying to lighten his spirits by being generous and encouraging, plus supportive of his decisions with who he talks to, however right now he just didn't feel up to talking.

Not only was his mood unintentionally dampening because of the time coming up but also because he had a shocking realisation. He didn't exactly have any friends he could write to. It was humiliating.

Ron was barely a friend these days, more like an acquaintance he could only tolerate if he didn't get on his nerves. Hermione was never his friend, she was just sort of... there. He hardly talked to any of the other Gryffindors during his brief period in the tower and the same goes for the other Slytherins down in the dungeons now.

Draco was less of a prat these days, perhaps because Harry made it into the house of the snakes alongside him or perhaps it's because he actually has a snake of his own and he's made an impression. Either way, the boy isn't as much of a pain as he was two years ago, however they're not considered friends.

He has formed a bit of an alliance with Daphne Greengrass and she has genuinely been interested to know the details of his life recently, as she's been trying to help him find The Sacred Twenty-Eight book. Perhaps, if he manages to find it, he'll write to her. Surely, she'll be interested to hear what he's learned and engage in conversation during the summer.

He suddenly yawned and stretched his arms out in front of him. "I'm tired, I'm going to go take a nap."

"You don't want lunch first?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "It's important that you eat."

Harry just shook his head and got up. "I'm really fine, I promise I'll eat later."

Sirius gave him a sceptical look before nodding. "Alright. Feel better, pup," he said sympathetically.

"I hope so," Harry smiled and ran up the stairs to his room. He locked the door behind him and buried himself under the covers, letting out a massive sigh when he finally got to close his eyes.

* * *

He was exploring the upper floors of the house by himself, trying to be alone with his thoughts and see what other things he could find in this place that would be interesting for him to examine, just like that interesting necklace.

Sirius didn't say this area was off limits, therefore he didn't feel like he was breaking any rules or trust.

He saw a large door at the end of the hall and there was a dusty sign on the front which read _Black Ancestral Library_. He let out a sigh of relief and pushed the door open quickly, mouth dropping open when he saw what was inside the room.

What he thought would be a small office sized room turned out to be something far better than he could have dreamed of. The room was massive, it took up the entire length of the floor he was standing on and beyond, magic somehow making it bigger on the inside.

There were massive bookshelves lined up in rows just like the Hogwarts library, except this was three times the size. He doesn't doubt that it's mostly filled with books on the Dark Arts, the kind of things Sirius was warning him of.

He promises to himself that as long as he's careful with what he reads and doesn't let the man know too much, there should be no problem. What he doesn't know can't hurt him.

He looks around the aisles and notices that on the wood there are letters engraved, showing that everything is lined up alphabetically. He's thankful that that'll make everything more easy in his search for what he needs and begins searching out the letter T.

After five minutes of running around, he eventually finds a massive row of books and journals all beginning with the same letter.

He sees Transfiguration books, books on Time Turners and Time Travel, and even someone's shady handwritten diary where they obsess over The Dark Lord. He doesn't doubt that it was probably a follower of Voldemort - the Black family had a pretty shady past and considering what Sirius already told him, most of his family members supported him and even went to school with the man during his time. There were probably tons of little secrets about the old Tom Riddle in that book, things which he doesn't really care to know about. He sighs and whips out his wand, casting a spell that he hopes will help. "Accio The Sacred Twenty-Eight book!"

Some shelves began rattling furiously and books began bashing against each other until finally, the one he summoned popped out of hiding and flew straight into his hand.

He tucked his wand away and sits down at a table, opening the book up and scanning the contents curiously. He was surprised to find a whole list of names inside, including the Malfoys, Longbottoms, Parkinsons, Weasleys, Greengrass, and the Blacks.

He belatedly realised that these must have been some of the families who were part of The Sacred Twenty-Eight. Most of the names he was familiar with, however some of the names he didn't recognise, such as Prewett, but a quick scan through the pages answered his questions and he smiled deviously.

As it turns out, the Prewetts were relatives of the Blacks, considering Lucretia Black had married Ignatius Prewett. Ignatius' brother then had three children with his wife and one of those children was named Molly Prewett, who would later go on to marry Arthur Weasley.

Harry already knew that the Malfoys were related to the Blacks, due to the fact that Lucius Malfoy's wife Narcissa was a Black by birth. Therefore, this meant that the Weasleys and Malfoys were considered distant cousins.

The thought made him grin and he briefly wondered if either family knew of this fact and if not, should he tell them and watch a scene unfold.

He continued scanning through some pages and read that the Potters were previously part of the book but were cast out due to a difference of opinion in some of his ancestors. Of course his family weren't pureblood supremacists and they supported muggle rights, however some people in the Wizengamot didn't agree and disowned their name entirely.

He shrugged it off and flipped more pages, stumbling upon the Black family tapestry. It showed information on who was related to who and out of curiosity, he scanned through it all.

He noticed the name Regulus across from Sirius' name and realised that was his brother who he presumed was dead after siding with Voldemort.

As he kept scanning through, he noticed something and was stunned, blinking rapidly to see if he was reading it correctly. There on the pages it said that a woman named Dorea Black married Charlus Potter and they went on to have a son, who then continued on the family line in the Potters. All of that led up until the last remaining heir in the line was born, and that person was himself.

A sudden warm feeling filled up his chest as he realised what this meant. He clutched the book and ran downstairs to see Sirius as quickly as possible.

* * *

"You see what this means?" Harry said excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other. "It means we're related, not just because you're my godfather, but actually related. By blood."

"This is incredible," Sirius said in awe as he looked over the book again and again. "When James made me your godfather, I accepted it right away and we always said it was because we simply felt like family. It all makes sense now."

Harry nodded. "I suppose so. And you never had any idea?"

"None, at all. Bloody hell, if I'd have known sooner..." he sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "But, at least we know now. And this is good news, definitely. We can use this to our advantage."

"Like how?" Harry said enthusiastically.

"Once I win this trial, some people may try and put you back with your muggle relatives if they think that's a good idea. At least if we prove we're biologically related, you can legally stay with me," Sirius told him seriously.

"It would most likely be Professor Dumbledore that would try and send me back," Harry rolled his eyes and scoffed. "But, I'm not going. I'm not!"

Sirius laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know pup, I wouldn't ever ask you to or expect it. That's why this'll come in handy. Y'know, it's incredibly difficult to interfere in ordeals that involve magic and blood relations."

"Oh, that's reassuring then." Suddenly, Harry's stomach gave a small growl and he grimaced slightly, turning slightly red. "Um."

"It's time for you to eat something," Sirius told him sternly, leading him to the kitchen. "Right now. And I'm going to write to Snape for you since I know you haven't done it."

Harry rolled his eyes and sat himself at the table, watching as Sirius got his required food for him and laid it out on a plate, huffing as the man patted him on the head, ruffling his already messy hair.

"Oi!" Harry snapped, pulling his head away.

"Oh, hush you," Sirius joked and grabbed some parchment and a quill, beginning on the letter he'd send to Snape about Harry's potions.

He ignored the sound of the boy biting and ripping into the raw meat like a wild, hungry wolf. 

* * *

"Here are your potions, make sure you don't lose them in this place," Severus said as he handed him the three vials.

"When have I ever?" Harry asked rhetorically. 

"Well, it's good to know that. Although, you have forgotten about it before, so I must remind you not to do so again," Severus told him with a hard look.

Harry rolled his eyes. "That was years ago! I won't forget again, I promise. I have Sirius here to look after me."

Severus grimaced slightly and gave a weak nod. "Yes, that's what I was afraid of."

Harry sighed. "We'll be _fine_. Just because you don't like him very much doesn't mean he's going to blow me up or anything."

"If you'd have known him back in our school days..." the man muttered snidely. "However, I shall take your word for it. I trust _you_. And if anything bad happens at all, if you feel sick in any way or need more medicine, just contact me immediately."

"Why? So you can go throw curses around at poor Sirius for neglecting me?" Harry raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk.

Severus' lip twitched for a second before he laid a hand gently on his shoulder. "Just promise me."

"Cross my heart," Harry said with a boyish smile, which earned him a scoff in return. 

"How lovely," Severus said and headed for the door again. Before he left, he called out one last time. "I shall be at the trial, remember that."

"To defend or turn against Sirius?" Harry asked.

Severus just nodded his head silently and left, an evil smile on his face which had Harry chuckling. 

Harry headed into the kitchen to put the vials in the cupboard for safe keeping when he saw Sirius sitting at the table with a sour look on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Sirius said with slight annoyance in his voice. "I believe it's Snape we have to worry about."

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon Harry, you heard him," the man said. "He's such a prat. There's a reason I didn't want to go in there are talk to him directly."

Harry slowly started to smile. "Are you actually taking what Severus said seriously?" When Sirius gave him bewildered look, Harry sat down across from him and crossed his hands. "He was clearly joking, don't worry about it. He has a dark sense of humour like me, he isn't going to do anything to jeopardise your chances of being freed."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because! You mean a lot to me and I need you in my life. Severus knows this and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, we're just as close. I know you two don't exactly see eye to eye but he wouldn't deliberately throw you under the bus like that just out of some petty childhood rivalry. He wants to help and he will." Harry put on a desperate face. "If you can't trust him, trust me."

"I will always trust you, Harry!" Sirius said with wide eyes, grabbing his gloved hands and holding them. "Always."

"Good," Harry nodded. "Then you don't have to worry about Severus."

Sirius hung his head for a moment before nodding, a small smile gracing his face. "Okay kiddo, if that's what you believe, then so do I."

"Thank you," Harry squeezed his hands tightly before standing back up and placing the vials into a cupboard. He'd need to begin taking them tomorrow, by which time when the trial came around, it'd be the night of the full moon. Sirius had told him that he didn't need to come and that he could rest at home if he wished, however Harry knew it was vital he showed up, plus the Minister wouldn't be happy in the slightest if he bailed on him.

It wasn't an experience he was looking forward to but he'd be strong, not only for himself but for his godfather. 

As if sensing his worries, Sirius spoke up gently. "Hey, how about we grab some snacks and cuddle up in the living room? I'll tell you about all the neat jinxes I used to prank people with," the man smiled. 

Harry nodded in agreement, happy for the nice distraction he could provide. They both grabbed some bowls and filled them to the top with junk food and curled up on the sofa, wrapping themselves inside a thick blanket. Harry rested his tired head on Sirius' shoulder and listened fondly as he told him funny stories of his time in Hogwarts, the scheming he used to get up to with his father, Remus and Pettigrew, before he turned traitor. 

He soon fell asleep snuggled up against Sirius, the man looking down at him with love and affection in his eyes.

* * *

It was the middle of the night and Harry woke up in somewhere different than he last remembered. His last remaining memory was that he was sitting with Sirius on the couch and talking, but now he was carefully tucked into his bed. He belatedly realised he must have fallen asleep and the man must have carried him all the way upstairs. 

He secretly prays to any deity that he didn't drip spit onto his shoulder during the process.

His stomach suddenly begins to churn violently and his facial scars throb dully. He looks out the window and notices that the moon is still hidden behind the thick sheet of clouds, not yet visible for the next couple of days. However, he remembers that the process leading up to it is always unpleasant and he groans miserably into his pillow, biting down hard.

He sighs tiredly and creeps out his room, quietly making his way downstairs so he doesn't disturb Sirius and wake him, then sneaks into the kitchen and grabs a vial of his Wolfsbane Potion, chugging it back with a nasty grimace and cough. 

"Ugh!" he gags. "Bloody disgusting." He looks through the large fridge they now have installed due to the help of muggle technology and he grabs the first thing he can find; it being a fresh, raw steak.

He pays no mind to the mess he makes, simply bites into it with his bare hands and laps up the blood like a vampire, sinking down onto the floor and munching quietly until his hunger has gone. Once finished, his head clears a little and he takes a look down at himself. 

His clean hands were streaked red with meat and blood and his own spit, his white t-shirt was stained and if anyone were to see him, they'd think he'd murdered someone with his bare hands. The floor was messy too, but he just cast a Cleaning Charm and it all vanished instantly. 

He felt a touch of shame overcome him at what he'd just done. He knew it was normal to feel this way, it happened all the time. He knew it was also normal to behave the way he did, it was instinctual, he had to behave that way. That didn't stop the self loathing thoughts from coming, though. He felt disgusting and dirty, entirely non-human and corrupted. 

_'What does Sirius even see in me anyway?'_ he thinks to himself sadly, tears welling up in his eyes as he begins washing his hands in the sink. _'I'm just a burden.'_

He's so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't hear the sound of footsteps behind him enter the kitchen. A cough snaps him out of it and he turns around quickly, seeing Sirius standing there near the doorway and giving him a worried look.

"You okay? Need any help with anything?" the man asks.

"What are you doing down here?" Harry asks self consciously. "You were sleeping, I'm sure of it."

Sirius smiled reassuringly. "I put an alarm on you when I tucked you in bed, one that would alert me if you'd gotten up or were feeling sick. It went off about two minutes ago, I was searching for you upstairs."

"Oh," Harry muttered and shifted on the spot awkwardly. "Well, you don't have to worry about me, I'm fine. I just needed to take my medicine, I was feeling a little irritable..." he trailed off, crossing his arms over his bloodied shirt despite the fact that Sirius could see the stains clearly. 

The man nodded. "That's okay, I'm glad you did that. You've-" He coughed again and cleared his throat, deliberately holding eye contact and refusing to look below his chin. "You've eaten something?"

Harry turned red in embarrassment but nodded, nonetheless. "Yeah," he muttered. "Although, I want to go back to bed now."

"That's a good idea, it's still pretty late. C'mon," Sirius sighed and led the way back upstairs. When they stopped on the upstairs landing where their bedrooms were, he gave Harry a serious look. "Don't be afraid to come to me if you need anything, alright? I'm right in the next room. You know where to find me."

Harry smiled back and nodded. "I know, I promise."

"Good."

They parted ways and Harry quickly ran back inside his room, shutting the door behind himself and locking it. It seemed as if he were making a lot of promises lately to people, although none of them seemed exactly terrible. 

First, he was promising Severus that he'd get in contact with him the second he felt too sick to take care of himself or needed some more medicine and secondly, he'd promised Sirius that he'd ask for his assistance and help with anything he needed. A small part of him wanted to outright refuse it all, claim that he was far too independent to rely on other people like this, but then another part of him spoke otherwise.

It was saying how nice it felt to have two people he cared about worry over him like this with genuine compassion in their hearts and know that they cared about him, too. How it felt as if he could put faith in just two people and know they wouldn't betray him for anything or anyone, would help him with anything he needed and wouldn't judge him for anything he does and what he becomes - what he _is_.

He never got that from the Dursleys. All he knew from them was bitterness, resentment, hate and anger. He was glad he no longer lived there at Privet Drive, he doesn't know how long he would be able to hold onto his sanity for if he were still with them. It was already cracking during that point.

Marge was dead by his hand - not that she didn't have it coming, she absolutely did - but that didn't have to be the case if they'd have just listened to him and _left him alone_. Perhaps treated him with a tad more respect like he deserved. She brought it on herself. It's a good thing he got out of there as quickly as he did, he thinks, otherwise he'd have taken down the rest of them with her, too. 

They should be considering themselves lucky. 

That's why it's essential that Sirius wins the trial and gets official guardianship over him, because he knows for a fact that if he gets sent back to the Dursleys, he'll probably end up killing them all. He won't be able to stop himself. Sooner or later, he's going to get too overwhelmed with keeping it all bottled up, acting as if everything is okay when it's _not_ , and he'll just snap. 

A small flicker of amusement rushes through him at the thought of the Dursleys screaming for their lives as they're being lit on fire but he forcefully pushed the thought away, locking it in the back of his mind with some strong Occlumency shields. He mentally reprimands himself for his brief invasive thoughts, trying his best to think positively instead of negatively for the time being.

That small flicker subtly roars in the background of his mind, however. He can feel it no matter how hard he tries to ignore it. He clutches his pillow hard and his eyes begin to tear up, his mind whirling with morbid thoughts. 

_'You're a monster, just look at yourself in the mirror!'_ a distant part of his subconscious spits out venomously. _'Nothing but a murderer...'_ another part trails off in disappointment. _'You should have stayed dead,'_ a chilling voice calls out and he sniffs, dropping his head into the pillows and trembles. 

He feels terribly alone and vulnerable, guilt washing over him. The only positive thing that's on his mind right now is Sirius, knowing he's in the next room and will welcome him with open arms. He sucks up his pride and climbs out of bed, hurriedly walking to the man's room and entering after knocking.

"Sirius?" he calls out quietly.

The man lifts his head up from his fluffy pillow, long curly hair sticking up in messy strands everywhere. "Hey, pup. Are you okay?"

Harry takes in a shuddering breath and wrings his hands. "Um, I-" His throat closes up before he can continue and he starts trembling again, tears dripping down his face.

Sirius' eyes immediately go wide and he jumps right out of bed, dragging him into a tight hug and holding him close, whispering comforting words in his ear. "It's okay, don't worry. Everything will be alright, I promise." Harry nods slowly and holds onto him tightly. "D'you want to stay in here with me tonight? There's plenty of room."

Harry nods quickly this time and lets Sirius lead him to the bed where he can get cuddled up in the blankets. "Thanks Sirius, I appreciate this," he whispered.

"That's what I'm here for," the man smiled. Harry buried his head in a pillow and sighed in content when Sirius wrapped an arm around his waist in a hug. "You don't need to talk about it now if you don't want to, but just know you can. You always can."

Harry nodded again and focused on his breathing, however the thoughts were still swirling around his head. He's glad his godfather couldn't do Legilimency because he's sure he'd be disgusted with him if he could view his thought process. This gathered a new round of tears and he clenched his fists angrily, crying quietly into the pillow beneath his head.

Just as he was about to turn his back on Sirius out of embarrassment, he felt something shift next to him and opened his eyes. Where the man previously lay next to him, now sat a scruffy black dog which was gently nuzzling into him and seeking out playful cuddles and affection. 

Harry let out a laugh and sniffed, wiping at his eyes. He pat Padfoot's head and stroked his soft fur, watching him wag his tail happily. The dog settled himself down next to him and Harry cuddled into him as he attempted to fall asleep, comforted by the other canine's presence. 

It was just enough to block out the rest of the scheming, evil taunts in his fractured mind, the one's that told him he didn't deserve any family.

_'You'll only kill him, just like you did with the other one.'_

* * *

It was the day of the trial and Harry's stomach was clenching with nerves. He was the most anxious he'd been in weeks and felt like he was constantly going to throw up. He knew it wasn't from the lycanthropy episode he was currently going through, this felt much worse in his honest opinion. 

At least with his condition, that could be managed with his medicine and he'd recover from it in no time. If he were to be separated from Sirius and sent back to the Dursley's home, that would be something he'd never get over. 

Not only was there the risk of them outing him for what he did to Marge and having him locked up in Azkaban for the rest of his life, there was also the risk of him snapping and doing the same thing to them. 

He hates them, truly and wholly hates them. However, he's trying to better himself for his mental health and Sirius' sake. He doesn't want to make the situation regarding them much worse, therefore it's best to just stay as far away from them as possible. Hopefully, for the rest of his life.

"Remember what we discussed," Sirius reminded him before they left the house to go to the Ministry. 

"The Sacred Twenty-Eight book, yes. I remember it all," Harry nodded. "Tell them how we're blood related."

"Exactly. Because that'll give us a much better chance of winning this case and having you come stay with me considering you're my biological family."

"You're sure they'll take it seriously?"

"I'm not only your cousin, I'm your godfather. Plus, they'll know I'm innocent with all the proof we'll give them. They have Pettigrew in a holding cell right now," Sirius said. Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

"Okay, I believe you."

"Good," the man smiled. "Now let's go. The last thing we want to do is be late."

"Agreed." 

They set out into London and Sirius led him to an old muggle phone box where they both crammed inside. He dialled a number onto the machine and for a second, Harry thought he was going to make a phone call. Suddenly, the floor beneath them sank and they were transported right into the Atrium of the Ministry.

They stepped out and Sirius led them up to a large desk where he introduced both of them. The woman behind the desk gave them both a curious look before nodding, writing something down onto parchment and calling a man over, presumably a guard.

"Take Mr Black and Mr Potter to the Wizengamot Courtroom," she instructed the man who nodded obediently. 

"With me, please," he told them and began to walk off. Harry and Sirius quickly trailed behind him and were led in front of large wooden doors which opened with a large bang. "In you go."

Harry and Sirius shared a reassuring look together before walking in with their heads held high. The room was packed full of people, most consisting of Ministry members who were part of the Wizengamot, some Aurors, teachers from Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, the Weasleys, Hermione Granger, Severus Snape and Dumbledore. 

In the middle of the room was a seat for Sirius and locked in a large cage, dressed in a prison uniform was Peter Pettigrew shivering in fear. Neither man paid him any attention or felt any sympathy.

Sirius sat down in the large chair whilst Harry headed for the empty one next to Severus and the room fell into silence.

"Court is in session!" Minister Fudge called out to the room, getting everyone's attention. "We are here because Mr Sirius Orion Black was accused of betraying his loyalty as Lily and James Potter's Secret Keeper and exposing their whereabouts to You-Know-Who on the night of their deaths at Godric's Hollow, the thirty-first of October, 1981. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Minister," Sirius asked whilst clenching his fists.

"Very well. Mr Black, you claim you were wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban for the past twelve years, due to the fact that you did _not_ betray the Potters. Is that correct?" he asked him.

"Yes, that's correct. I wasn't the Secret Keeper for the Potters."

People in the jury started whispering in hushed voices and sharing confused glances with each other.

"Can you explain for the jury, please?"

"Certainly," Sirius said boldly, sitting up straighter. "As James' best friend, we originally thought it was ideal for me to be the Secret Keeper as I would never give up his, Lily's or Harry's location to anybody. I loved them all too dearly. However, we started thinking a bit more logically and realised that some people, perhaps the Death Eaters might figure out the plan and would either torture, kill or do both to me."

"Go on," Fudge nodded.

"Well, we decided to change Secret Keepers. Nobody would ever suspect it. We couldn't go with our friend Remus considering his status as a werewolf and the stigma that was around that. Not that I have any problems whatsoever," he said sincerely. "But we felt some people may not agree with the idea. Therefore, we went with our last remaining option, one which I deeply regret to this day."

"And that was?"

"We changed Secret Keepers to our other friend, Peter Pettigrew," he spat the name and glanced at the man in the cage who cowered in on himself. "We thought because he was more of the quiet type, he could be trusted to keep his mouth shut, but we were wrong. He is nothing more than a coward," he glared at the man. "He betrayed his friends, betrayed his title of a Gryffindor and traitorously gave up the location of the Potters, simply to save his own skin. Skin which he marked up with the Dark Mark."

There were multiple gasps around the room and everyone else who didn't know of the situation looked shocked and sickened. Harry just looked livid at Pettigrew and Dumbledore and McGonagall looked completely disappointed. 

"Of course none of us had any idea until it was too late. You-Know-Who found their location and killed Lily and James, then made an attempt on Harry's life but thankfully, he failed. When I heard of the news, I rushed as fast as I could to Godric's Hollow to see if they were okay, but... obviously they were not." He gulped and took a deep breath. "I knew what happened immediately, how could I not? I made sure baby Harry was alright and waited for other's to show up, then I made it my mission to go after Pettigrew."

"And then what happened after you went after him?" Fudge asked with wide eyes.

"I found him cowering in the street. I made to grab him, perhaps turn him over to the Ministry and have _him_ locked away for the rest of his miserable life for what he'd done. However, he's an unregistered Animagus - a garden rat - and he blew up the street in a desperate attempt to get away, killing several muggles in the process. He then shifted into his rat form and escaped down a nearby sewer before I could catch him."

The jury started yelling angrily, pointing to Pettigrew with hatred in their eyes.

"Quiet!" Fudge yelled. "And how did you manage to find yourself under arrest?" he asked confused.

"Well, at that point the Aurors showed up and they obviously thought _I_ was the one to do it all. They grabbed me and tossed me into Azkaban without even giving me a trial," he spat angrily. "Pettigrew's been hiding in his rat form ever since, shacking up with the Weasley's and fooling them into thinking he was simply just a pet."

"I see. And you figured this out from your cell in Azkaban and decided to break out?"

"The Weasleys had won a trip to Egypt in 1993 and their photo was posted in the Daily Prophet. Surely you remember?" At this, Fudge nodded quickly. "Good. Well, I read the Prophet from my cell and saw the picture. I recognised the rat who was sitting on Ronald Weasley's shoulder right away and knew he was hiding in their home, probably as their pet. I decided it was time to break out and catch Pettigrew once and for all. I was never after Harry."

Fudge smiled in understanding and relaxed back into his chair, clasping his hands. "I understand. That must have been incredibly difficult."

"I was more determined than anything at that point, consequences be damned," Sirius glared.

Thankfully, Fudge seemed to believe him and decided to stop questioning him. "Alright, Mr Black, I think I've heard enough. Does anyone from the jury have any questions before we move on?"

Someone quickly yelled out. "How do you know he's truly a Death Eater?"

Sirius clenched his fists to refrain from shouting at her. "He was happily brandishing his arm in the street when he tried to kill me, right after he had the Potters killed. He was a loyal follower of You-Know-Who, he takes pride in it. Lift up his sleeve and take a look for yourself if you don't believe me."

She cast a charm to reveal his arm and everyone gasped when they saw the horrid black skull and snake on his left forearm. "Oh, my..." she gasped.

"I-it's n-not real, it's j-just paint!" Pettigrew stuttered out pathetically. "Sirius, my friend. Please."

"Don't you dare call me your friend," Sirius said venomously, making the man in the cage recoil. "I hate you."

"Alright, if we could call Mr Potter up to the stand," Fudge said to the room.

Sirius stood up and made his way to the seats in the stands, letting Harry take his place. "Good luck," he whispered to the boy as he walked past him.

Harry smiled and sat down in the large chair, steadying his breathing.

"Mr Potter, will you please tell us what happened on the night you first came into contact with Mr Black and Mr Pettigrew at Hogwarts? Presumably it was at the same time."

"It was, Minister. Well, just as Sirius told you. He realised Pettigrew was alive and the guilty one. To make the long story short, Sirius was in the Shrieking Shack and hiding out considering he was pretty tired. Obviously, as he'd spent twelve years in what most people would consider hell. Pettigrew, or as the Weasleys had called him, Scabbers, had obviously realised that Sirius was after him. We didn't know that though."

"Of course."

"Well, _Scabbers_ kept freaking out and running away, hiding in random places. We didn't know why, it makes sense now, though. We actually thought Granger's cat ate him," he said whilst biting his lip to stifle a laugh. "Eventually, we all ended up in the shack and Ron had Scabbers in his hand to comfort him, considering Sirius was there too. We thought he was going to kill me but he was obviously trying to capture Pettigrew. Remus, who was our teacher at the time showed up and things just began to unfold when Sirius told us the truth and Remus confirmed it."

"And what happened next?"

"A spell was cast on Pettigrew to change him back into his human form and finally everything was revealed. We decided to turn him over to the Ministry as soon as possible. Thankfully, you were on the premises and witnessed Pettigrew yourself."

"Yes, I do remember that part quite clearly. Very shocking for all of us," Fudge said with wide eyes.

"Exactly. And then we took him to the Headmaster's office and agreed to get Sirius his trial. You were also there for that part," Harry shrugged. "But, yeah. That's basically it. He told the truth, Sirius was never after me. In fact, he was nothing but kind to me and we've been close ever since," he smiled to his godfather who looked relieved.

"Excellent!" Fudge said delighted, much to Harry's shock. "I think I've heard enough for now, thank you Mr Potter."

Harry nodded and quickly ran back to his seat, sitting next to Sirius with a grin. "Everything's going well," he whispered.

"Told you," the man said.

Fudge continued asking for people to come up to the seat and give statements, such as Ron and Hermione, both of which gave the same story as he did, confirming everything for the jury. He was pleased to note that they specifically left out the part of Sirius being an Animagus and Remus transforming into a werewolf. Perhaps his constant scolding had begun to pay off and they were learning boundaries and the meaning of secret keeping, themselves.

Especially the girl. He finds it tedious knowing he has to keep a constant watch on her because of her nosiness.

After Severus, Remus and McGonagall all had their turn on the stand, only Dumbledore was left to come up and give his final statement. This was the bit that Harry had been waiting for, the bit that would ultimately decide his fate from now on. He squeezed Sirius' hand and felt the man hold his back gently. 

"Headmaster Dumbledore, you knew and used to teach Mr Pettigrew back in his school days, am I correct?" Fudge asked.

"Not teach, so much as simply be his Headmaster just as I am for students today. But, I see what you mean. I knew him, of course."

"How did you find his behaviour?"

"He was always a quiet boy, never getting into too much trouble despite the fact that he hung around with pranksters for friends," he chuckled weakly. "If I'd have heard back in the day that he would have grown up to become a follower of Voldemort and betray his friends, I would have rolled my eyes at whoever dared say such a thing." Many people cringed at the use of the Dark Lord's name but Dumbledore paid them no mind. "Alas, it happened and we may never know why. All I know is that despite how much this may hurt my old heart, he must suffer the consequences of his actions," he said sternly.

"No! Headmaster, p-please! I'm not c-cut out for p-prison!" Pettigrew shivered and clutched at the bars of the cage. "There's D-Dementors there!"

For a second, Harry felt a touch of pity then scolded himself and pushed it away. His greatest fear is the horrible beasts and he'd do whatever it takes to stay out of Azkaban, purely for that reason. Pettigrew deserves this, he should go mad with fear. If it were up to Harry, he'd have the things suck whatever soul he has right out of him.

"Enough, Mr Pettigrew!" Fudge snapped. "I believe I've heard all I need to hear on the matter now. The jury will take a moment to come to a decision, but in the meantime, I ask you to be patient," he spoke to Sirius who nodded. 

Everyone on Sirius' side of the room waited in anticipation for the jury's verdict, shifting on their seats nervously and clutching each other's hands. Severus looked over at Harry and gave him a reassuring nod which he appreciated. 

"You'll be fine, I know it," Harry whispered to Sirius.

"Of course I will be," the man smiled. "And so will you. I'll make sure of it."

Harry nodded shakily, clutching Sirius' hand tighter. Eventually, the jury stopped whispering to themselves and someone muttered something into Fudge's ear, making the man nod.

"The Wizengamot have come to their final decision!" he called out. "Sirius Black is free of all charges previously pressed against him." Everyone started cheering and clapping, including Harry and Sirius who hugged each other tightly. "You're innocent in this situation, Mr Black, I personally realise that. I'm also so sorry for what's happened to you all these years. You didn't deserve to be wrongfully imprisoned. We will be rewarding you twelve-thousand Galleons in compensation for your time spent in Azkaban. Do with it what you wish."

"Thank you, Minister," Sirius said gratefully and let out a relieved breath. 

"Of course. I realise that there is also the matter of Mr Potter's home arrangements in which you hoped to discuss?"

"Yes, sir. Seeing as I'm a free man now, I'd very much like for Harry to come live with me in my residence. James and Lily made me his godfather after his birth and it's my responsibility to care for him, which I'm all too happy to do."

"Is this true, Mr Potter?" Fudge asked.

Harry nodded quickly. "Yes, Minister. I've been staying with Sirius for the summer, actually. It's been nothing but welcoming and incredibly homey. I wish to stay there."

"I see," Fudge hummed. "What about your relatives whom you currently stay with? What do they think of the situation?"

Harry shrugged. "They don't mind, at all. As long as Sirius isn't the mass murderer they thought he was - which he's not - then they wouldn't care. Sirius is my family, they'd want me to be with him," he lied easily.

"Of course they would," Fudge smiled. 

"I'm sorry but I have to interrupt here," Dumbledore said whilst raising a hand. "As much as I'd love to see Harry in a peaceful home environment with someone whom he cares about and has a strong connection with, I'm afraid under certain circumstances it won't be entirely possible."

"What do you mean?" Fudge asked with a frown.

"The relatives in which Harry lives with just so happen to be his aunt, uncle and cousin. His aunt Petunia was his mother's sister and this means they share the same blood, therefore she offers a strong blood protection around their home which can't be broken. I believe it's best for Harry to reside in his current residence with his muggle relatives in order to keep the blood wards safe and secure."

At this, Harry stood up with a determined expression on his face. He wasn't going to let this old fool take his godfather away from him.

"Actually, you're wrong, Headmaster." Dumbledore's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he narrowed them slightly.

"My boy-"

"No. You see, you're right when you say that I share the same blood as my aunt Petunia and there are blood wards, but I also share the same blood with someone else who's close to me."

"And who might that be?" Fudge asked.

"Sirius," Harry smiled. Lots of people looked astonished but he just continued. "I read the Sacred Twenty-Eight book in the Black Ancestral library and it showed me the Black family tree. Charlus Potter married Dorea Black several years ago and well... you can figure out how it went. I was on the tree, right at the very end as the last remaining relative. Which means, not only is Sirius my godfather but he's a cousin."

Sirius stood up next to him. "And if that's the case, we share the same blood biologically. Therefore, the blood wards should hold up perfectly well. Wouldn't you agree?" Sirius asked Dumbledore and Fudge.

"Yes, I'd certinally think so. It's a very old piece of magic and rarely done these days. However, when it is, it's very strong magic indeed. I'd have faith in it, myself," Fudge agreed.

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his tired looking eyes. "Harry, I admire your determination to show off your lineage and look into your family line, however it is simply too risky. It is best if you simply stay with the Dursleys," he spoke only to him.

Harry crossed his arms and spoke straight back, heatedly. "No, I'm not going. I refuse. I'll just run away."

"Harry-"

"No! I'm not staying there, especially when it isn't even necessary. Sirius' home has some of the most powerful wards in the Wizarding World anyway. Even without the blood protection in place, I'd most likely be perfectly fine. I'm not listening to any excuses, I want to stay with Sirius!" he demanded and turned to Fudge again. 

Dumbledore looked at his wits end, as if he didn't know how to deal with a stressed out and severely hormonal thirteen year old boy. 

"If the wards are all set properly and you're both comfortable with the arrangement," Fudge spoke to Harry and Sirius, "then I see no problem to allow you to live with Mr Black and grant him custody."

Harry beamed and looked up to Sirius who was smirking. "We'd like that," the boy said.

"Very well," Fudge nodded. "I hereby grant Mr Sirius Orion Black legal guardianship of Mr Harry James Potter. We'll have you sign some paperwork before you leave to get everything official and that'll be everything sorted."

"Thank you," Harry sighed.

"So much," Sirius nodded. 

"Of course. I'm happy to help," Fudge nodded. "As for Mr Pettigrew. You are charged with betraying the Potters as their Secret Keeper, hiding in an illegal Animagus form for twelve years, killing several muggles, becoming a Death Eater and framing an innocent man. You are sentenced to life in Azkaban prison. That'll be all then. Court is adjourned!"

Everyone started clapping as Pettigrew was dragged away inside his cage screaming and Sirius hugged Harry tightly again. "I told you we'd be fine."

"Yeah, I feel silly for not listening to you," Harry muttered.

"Nah, don't. It's perfectly reasonable."

"Alright," the boy smiled weakly. 

There was a cough from behind them and they turned to see Severus standing there with a serious expression. "Congratulations, both of you. I'm glad everything turned out alright."

"Thanks, Sev," Harry smiled. He saw the corner of the man's lips turn up slightly and knew he was having trouble repressing his smile that he always brought out in him. 

"Of course," Severus said. "Just make sure you don't blow up your house if you really plan on setting up that brewing station," he muttered.

Harry chuckled. "You know I would never let that happen. I've learned from the best."

"Hmm, quite right," Severus said smugly. 

"And I won't be touching anything unless I have to. It's all yours, pup. You know what you're doing better than me in that area," Sirius grinned. 

"Do you know where you'll be setting it up?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We have a basement that never gets used," Sirius waved a hand. "It's probably best there."

"I'd agree. Most potions ingredients do well when they're kept in dark and enclosed spaces. That's why the Potions lab at school is in the dungeons."

"I thought it was just because that's where all the spooky people like to brew their potions where they'll cook people alive," Sirius joked. "Y'know, like in the muggle movies? The evil and ugly witches with warts."

Severus glared at the man whilst Harry just bit his lip and repressed a snort.

"No..." Severus said slowly. "That is the farthest thing from the truth. Seriously?" he muttered to Harry who just rolled his eyes.

"Forget it. I'm just glad you're here."

"Yeah, I'm suddenly wishing I was back home," the man muttered under his breath sarcastically which had Harry letting out an exasperated sigh. "You do remember what tonight is, don't you?"

Harry nodded discreetly. "Of course, how could I forget? Everything hurts," he cringed.

"We'll get you some pain medicine as soon as we get home, okay?" Sirius said.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully. 

"And make sure to take your other medicine," Severus said sternly.

"I know!" Harry whined. Severus smiled in satisfaction.

Eventually, lots of people started coming up to them and congratulating them. Ron gave a half hearted nod which Harry reciprocated and Hermione rambled on about the unfairness of the justice system, how Sirius didn't get nearly enough money for what he's been through. He agreed with her in all honesty but she was just too annoying to talk to, therefore he just nodded along to everything she said and kept his mouth quiet.

It's not as if he'd get a word in otherwise, anyway. She never shut up.

Dumbledore didn't come up to them to congratulate them, he just looked rather irritated and glanced at them from the corner of his eye before walking out the room. Harry was left confused by the whole ordeal. He knew, just _knew_ Dumbledore would pull a move like that during court, however he wasn't expecting his reaction afterwards. He was being awfully bitter and lowkey immature.

Was it worry over his safety? Or does he just not want him to live with Sirius and that was his excuse? Why would that be the reason, though? There's nothing wrong with Sirius. He's innocent and a good man. He's his real family. Does Dumbledore not like him or trust him? Or does he just want Harry to stay with the Dursleys because he knows he hates it there and wants to torture him that way? 

Doesn't the old man realise he's doing them all a favour by staying away? There's a reason why he isn't his biggest fan.

He's pulled out of his thoughts by Sirius tapping him on the arm. "Ready to go home, pup?"

Harry nodded quickly in excitement. "Yeah!"

"We just have to fill out the paperwork, it'll take one minute." He led them over to a desk where some Wizengamot members were laying out different sheets of parchment for them both. They gave it all a quick read through and when they realised it was simply just papers agreeing that Sirius would take custody of him, they both hurriedly signed. "Alright, let's go."

They walked quickly back to the Atrium and stepped into a floo system which took them right back into London.

* * *

That night was painful for him. His bones and muscles hurt and his head throbbed painfully - it was like his brain was banging against his skull. The pain medicine only worked a little bit and very temporarily. It didn't taste the nicest either, however it was nothing compared to his Wolfsbane Potion which tasted like literally vomit. 

Harry curled up in his bed and groaned, Sirius stroking his hair soothingly and resting a cool towel against his bare back. "Just try your best to fall asleep, I'll be right here."

He nodded into his soft pillow and let out a long sigh, snuggling into it. This was certinally better than dealing with it at school all alone or at the Dursleys with them screaming at him all the time. Despite the fact that it hurt so much, Sirius being here by his side and whispering soothing and comforting words into his ear made a massive difference and worked better than any pain reliving medicine he'd ever had.

Knowing that he'd have the man by his side for the rest of his life to willingly and kindly take care of him like this made the anxiety in his stomach disappear and was replaced by something warm and soothing.

It was much easier to fall asleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you like what you read <3
> 
> Things are kicking off finally! 
> 
> PS: This book is probably gonna be hella long. I plan on doing like 40 chaps so prepare for a long ride. LOTS of changes from canon and surprises around every corner that you won't be expecting :D


	4. Ups And Downs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wearing questionable jewellery, Harry's birthday and bad dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally beginning to enter more the canon storyline now! I'm honestly so excited for this story to take off cos of all the big changes I have planned ;)

The moon night was eventually over and Harry was free to roam around the house as he pleased again without worry of accidentally hurting himself or Sirius. 

He was also glad to note that The Daily Prophet had officially posted an article stating that Sirius was now a free man, cleared of all charges and the real perpetrator was Peter Pettigrew. It was a massive relief for both of them because now the man could walk around Diagon Alley without anyone trying to have him arrested or throwing curses or insults at him.

Harry could also live peacefully with him forever - that was the best part.

"Since nobody is going to give me any troubles from now on, what do you say we go out for some ice cream?" Sirius asked him when they were sitting at the kitchen table and eating breakfast that Kreacher prepared, just having finished reading the paper.

"In London or Diagon Alley?" Harry asked whilst taking a bite of his sausages.

"Why not both? We can fatten ourselves up with sugar and not feel guilty about it, at all."

Harry chuckled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Great. We can go at lunch time, it's a nice day outside."

The sun was indeed shining brightly in the sky without a trace of a cloud and there was also a hot summer breeze blowing through the air. It was as if the universe suddenly lit right up, knowing that everything was much better now and was giving them some positive weather to look forward to in order to make their first summer together much better.

It felt like he were now on a permanent holiday and he was loving every second of it.

He decided once he was done with his food to run back upstairs and get changed out of his pyjamas and into his regular clothes as quickly as possible. He slipped on some black skinny jeans, a black button up shirt with a dark purple jumper over it and some leather boots. He had his wand in his holster strapped tightly to his arm under his sleeve and slicked back his longish hair with some styling product, making himself look dashing and handsome.

Thankfully, the scars on his face had begun to fade somewhat and only ever flared up when it was during one of his episodes. As of now they were simply just faded skin coloured lines, only visible if you stood up close to him and really payed attention, therefor he felt much more comfortable these days pulling his hair away from his face and showing himself off.

The real problem was his his lightening bolt scar on his forehead which never seemed to properly fade. He curled his lip and was glad for the small fringe he had in the front of his face, discreetly pulling his hair over the scar and pinning it in place with some hairspray. 

He nodded to his reflection and left the room, deciding to head back downstairs. That's when he felt that familiar pull again and frowned, stopping in place rather suddenly. He turned slowly and sighed, beginning to walk in the direction of the room which he knew held all those priceless artifacts that he most certinally wasn't supposed to go near. He stopped outside the door and considered what he was doing for a moment before shrugging to himself, pushing the door open quietly.

Somehow, he just knew the feeling was coming from the locket inside the locked box. He walked over to it and slowly unlocked it, gently pulling the necklace out and holding it in his palm, looking over it.

It was still as beautiful and unique as when he first saw it, the jewels glimmering under the light.

He felt that steady thrum radiating softly from it, the _thump... thump... thump..._ of what he could only imagine to be a heartbeat. He hummed to himself and remembered that some objects out there are sentient like wands, they understand wizards and can connect to them, almost as if they are alive and have a personality of their own.

His own wand was rather loyal to him and stubborn to anyone else handling it, after all. It could also be quite aggressive when the time called for it, as if it knew what needed to be done during a situation.

He began to wonder if this locket was something like that and bit his lip momentarily before making the impulsive decision to slip it around his neck. He felt a warm wave of magic wash over him and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. He felt as if he recognised it from somewhere, yet didn't know where to place it. 

Instead of wasting his time debating about it, he just slipped the necklace underneath his jumper and shirt to hide it from prying eyes and walked back out the door, running quickly downstairs to Sirius and smiling at him.

"Nice outfit," the man told him as he glanced over him.

"What?" Harry asked, clutching a hand to his chest where the necklace lay. Surely it was hidden well enough.

"Your jumper," Sirius said whilst raising an eyebrow. "It's nice. Very purple."

"Oh! Yes, my jumper," Harry said with a smile. "Well, you know what the muggles say. Purple is a royal colour."

"That's true. And you most certainly are royalty, at least in my eyes," the man complimented him.

"Hah, thanks Sirius," Harry grinned. 

"Of course. How about I get ready and then we can go?"

"That sounds good," Harry nodded. Sirius put the dishes away in the sink for Kreacher to take care of and went off upstairs to get himself dressed, leaving him all alone in the kitchen.

**"Youngling, what is that scent that is coming from you?"** Nessie asked as she crept up behind him and made him jump.

**"What scent?"** he asked her in confusion. **"Is it my hairspray? It does smell quite strong but I need it to be strong to keep my damned hair in place."**

Nessie shook her head. **"No, it is not your silly fur products. This is something else. Something... repugnant."**

**"Jeez, thanks for that. Now I'm going to be paranoid when I go outside,"** he muttered whilst sniffing himself. He smelled nothing out of the ordinary though.

**"I have much better senses than a regular human or fluffy dog creature,"** she hissed making Harry hold back a laugh. **"I can pick up what most others can't. Even that moronic goblin creature won't know what I'm talking about."**

**"You mean Kreacher?"** he asked her, gaining a nod. **"Okay, first of all, he's an elf and not a goblin. Secondly, if only you can smell whatever it is that bothers you so much, I hardly care. Nobody else will be able to pick it up, will they?"**

**"Well, no. But that doesn't matter! I can smell it and it does not suit you. It's as if you've been contaminated by another slithery serpent, one that is up to no good."**

**"I promise you Nessie, I have been near no other snakes. Only you,"** he promised her. He got a narrowed gaze in return but eventually she nodded.

**"Alright youngling, I'll chose to believe you. But if I find another serpent around here, it shall meet a violent end. Nobody shall replace me,"** she said possessively.

**"I wouldn't dream of that ever happening,"** he smiled and reached down to softly stroke her head.

She nuzzled into his hand for a moment before slithering away happily. He knew that since they'd bonded a couple of years ago, eventually her personality would start to change and she'd become much more like him as their magic would connect. He never expected to see this side to her, however.

He knew she was incredibly protective of him and wouldn't hesitate to bite anyone who harmed him, however as they both got older she got closer and coiled tighter around him. He belatedly realises this must be what he's like regarding things that are important to him. He knew he was protective over his secrets as being a werewolf and a Parselmouth but this must be what he's like when it involves Sirius.

_'Am I really so possessive over him?'_ he thought to himself. _'Well, how could I not be? He's the only family I truly have. I don't want anything to happen to us! I won't let anyone take him away from me.'_

He refuses to feel guilt over the matter. He knows nobody can do anything about it. The only person standing in their way is Dumbledore, the one person who seems to have a problem with him being here. But he's not going to let the old man win, not ever. 

As he's lost in his thoughts, Sirius comes back downstairs dressed impeccably in a casual suit and his hair well done. "Alright?" the man asked him when he noticed his dazed face.

Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled. "Perfect."

"Excellent," the man said. "Now let's go get some sugary treats."

* * *

They were in Diagon Alley and sitting at a window view table inside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, watching everyone walk by with their children and friends doing their shopping. They both had big bowls of ice cream each and were talking happily to each other.

"Your birthday is coming up in a few weeks," Sirius told him whilst taking a bite of his food. "What do you plan on doing for it?"

"I don't plan on doing anything," Harry shrugged, digging his spoon into his ice cream. "There's no point."

"What do you mean there's no point?" Sirius asked with wide eyes. "You're turning fourteen, you're becoming a young man now," he smirked. "We're going to celebrate for sure."

"I've never really celebrated my birthday before," Harry muttered as he stared glumly down at his bowl. 

"What?" Sirius whispered.

"Well, the Dursleys never really cared about my birthday so I just spent it alone in my room," he shrugged, not mentioning the fact that his room was a _cupboard._ "When I went to school, people sent me stuff and Hagrid once made me a cake but that's about it. I don't really care," he said nonchalantly. 

Sirius scoffed and shook his head. "Well I do. You're not with them anymore and you're not going to be neglected by me in any way. So, that means we're celebrating your birthday properly. I'll try my hardest to make it the best you've had yet."

Harry bit his lip and supressed a smile, feeling a little bit embarrassed and overwhelmed, yet not ungrateful. It was just a lot to take in, knowing that someone actually wanted to spend a day dedicated to him and wanted him to have fun. He mentally berates himself however, telling himself he'll have to get used to it, as he knows Sirius won't ever let a birthday celebration pass ever again.

"Okay, if you say so," he finally relented with a playful overdramatic sigh. 

"That's more like it. I'll take care of everything, all you have to do is show up and be yourself," Sirius said.

Harry nodded and dug back into his strawberry ice cream, glad that Sirius was thoughtful enough not to order himself chocolate because he knew it'd make him sick and instead went for mint. 

Once they were nearly done, a random blonde woman approached them and cleared her throat, wringing her hands awkwardly. 

"Um, hello there," she said politely. "My name is Amelia Bones, may I sit?" she gestured towards their table where there was an empty seat.

Harry and Sirius both shared a look before nodding to her. 

"Please," Sirius said.

"Thank you, Mr Black. It's so good to see you out and about like this, truly. You very much deserve it," she said genuinely. 

"Oh, well thank _you_ , yourself. I appreciate that," Sirius said with a small chuckle. 

Harry frowned at the woman. "Bones, huh. Why do I recognise that name?" he muttered.

The woman smiled at him kindly. "You're in the same year as my niece, Susan Bones. I think you share some classes with her."

Realisation hit him and he nodded. "Oh, yes! I know who you're talking about. Red hair, Hufflepuff."

"That's my Susan," Amelia smiled.

"I've never really talked to her that much. I think I've said hello in classes but that's as far as it's went. She seems nice enough though," Harry said respectfully.

"That means a lot hearing that, Mr Potter. I'm glad I've appeared to raise her well," she said in relief.

"If you don't mind me asking, Miss Bones, was there something you needed?" Sirius asked her patiently. 

"Silly me, of course. Sometimes I let my affections get the better of me and I ramble," she laughed. "I work for the Ministry and although I wasn't present during your trial, I'm certainly glad justice was served. Perhaps it's my own inner Hufflepuff talking but I definetly like to see things work out fairly."

"Well, that it did. Despite the fact it took twelve years, I'm simply grateful to be free now and can spend all my time looking after my godson."

"That's what it's all about, isn't it?" she said happily. "I'm pleased that everything is going well and just remember, if anyone gives you any trouble or tries to attack you in any way, you can always contact me. I'm the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I can certinally handle people myself."

"That's good to know," Sirius said gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Bones."

"My pleasure," she nodded and stood up. "It was very nice to meet you both."

"You too," Sirius smiled and Harry waved his hand as she left. "She was nice, wasn't she?"

"What do you expect from a Hufflepuff? They're the only known ones who truly do things for other people with hardly any ill intentions or wish for something in return," Harry raised an eyebrow. "I'd probably make a terrible one," he snorted.

"No, don't be like that. You're just as loyal and kind as one of them," Sirius said.

"I'm glad you think so," Harry said relieved. "I try my best."

"And you do splendidly."

Harry just took a final bite of his ice cream and let the affection shine through his eyes. 

* * *

Four weeks later, it was finally Harry's fourteenth birthday and just like Sirius had promised, he intended to make the day all about him. 

He'd woken Harry up early in the morning whilst wearing a party hat on his head, which made him laugh hysterically even as the man was shoving one on his head, too. He dragged him downstairs in his pyjamas and Harry gaped at the sight of all the balloons and birthday decorations scattered around the hallways and in the living room.

Sirius had also made him breakfast on his own from scratch, spending plenty of time practicing with a decent cookbook by his side, just so he could get it perfect for him.

"How's your food? I didn't burn it, did I? Or undercook it," the man said anxiously.

Harry smiled widely at him around a mouthful of syrupy pancakes. "They're perfect, Sirius," he said honestly.

Sirius looked delighted and continued to spend the rest of the day fussing over him, not allowing him to lift a finger on any dishes or even cleaning his room. Only he and Kreacher were to do it whilst Harry was ordered to lay back comfy on the sofa and fill himself up on all the sweets and snacks he could.

He should have expected it but due to never celebrating an occasion quite like this before, it simply slipped his mind. When Sirius brought out the birthday cake and sang to him, he was stunned into silence, thinking it was a prank of some sort, at first. Then it clicked, this was a real celebration and this was his cake, with his fourteen little candles and even his name written in frosting on it!

He blew out the candles and made sure to make a wish inside his head, just as Sirius instructed. 

_'I wish for this wonderful life with Sirius to never end,'_ he thought desperately. 

The man patted him on the back and then they got round to cutting the cake, each of them stuffing their faces with as much as they could, not caring about being messy or greedy because they were simply happy.

"Pup, I've got something for you that I hope you'll enjoy," Sirius told him with a mischievous grin and pulled out a package wrapped in green wrapping paper. 

"What is it?" Harry asked as he stared down at it. 

"Open it and find out!" Sirius said excitedly.

Harry carefully peeled back the wrapping paper, curious about what could possibly be underneath. It felt hard and pointy, jagged around the edges. He was glad he had his gloves on so he wouldn't possibly cut his fingers on whatever it was.

Once he finally had it opened, he frowned thoughtfully down at the large shard of glass held in his hand. "A mirror?"

Sirius chuckled. "It's called a Two-way mirror. The other half of it is upstairs in my room and it's a neat and sneaky way for us to communicate. You simply hold the mirror up in front of your face, say my name and I'll get an alert that let's me know you're wanting to talk. You'll see my face in the mirror and it works both ways. Cool, eh?"

"So it's a bit like a muggle phone?"

"Precisely."

"This is brilliant," Harry grinned. "This will be much quicker that writing to you through letters."

"That's exactly the point," Sirius agreed. "You can use this at any time you need, I'll always answer. If by any chance I don't, it's probably because I'm in the bathroom and singing in the shower or I'm trying to put out the fire that I've started in the kitchen."

Harry snorted and nodded. "Good to know. And very reassuring," he said sarcastically.

"Hmm. Now, shall we try it out?"

Harry nodded quickly again and waited for Sirius to reach his room before calling out through the mirror.

"Sirius?" he said hopefully.

Suddenly, the image of his reflection faded into a clear image of the man's face who was grinning back at him. 

"Look at that, it works," Sirius said cheerfully. 

"This is going to so be awesome," Harry murmured to himself in contentment with a smile. 

"Oh, this one also came for you. I don't know who it's from," Sirius shrugged when he finally came back downstairs. "But a letter was attached. I haven't read it."

Harry noticed the small package and picked it up, the size of the item small and square. When he took the wrapping paper off, it revealed a small black velvet box and he unclasped it gently. Laying inside was everything he'd hoped for, for the past year at school. 

It was his Quidditch Captaincy badge. Triangular, green and shiny.

He beamed and picked it up, examining it. "I actually got it," he said. "I hoped I would."

"That's so great, I'm so proud of you!" Sirius said enthusiastically. 

Harry put the badge back and read the letter that came attached with it, already knowing who it'd be from.

> _Congratulations on gaining your official Captaincy badge, you've truly earned it._
> 
> _Not only have you shown effortless skill on the pitch and great teamwork abilities, Mr Marcus Flint personally put in a good word and claimed once he graduates, you'd be the best person to take over._
> 
> _Don't let me, your team or Slytherin House down. Wear your badge on your school cloak at all times and be a strong team leader._
> 
> _Good luck._
> 
> _**Professor Snape** _
> 
> _PS: I know you'll do wonderfully, you always do. Happy birthday, Harry._

Harry folded the letter up again with care, feeling warm all over. This was the best birthday yet.

* * *

He was sitting in his room and reading over his _Dark And Deadly Curses_ book which he keeps locked away inside his trunk at all times.

He felt it was always good to keep himself updated on things that he could read, whether Light, Grey or Dark. None of it mattered to him, magic is all essentially the same. Using Light Magic doesn't necessarily make you a good wizard just as using Grey or Dark Magic doesn't make you a bad one. It's only about your intent and what you plan to do with it.

Really, he just likes to study up as much as he can because his love for knowledge and magic has no bounds. Plus, it would be good to have as much information and skills if the time came where he'd have to use any of the three branches of magic in a duel as self defence. 

He finds it sad that hardly anybody would agree with him, however. Hence why he keeps it all to himself and will never reveal his books. If anyone caught sight of them in his possession, he'd be done. His life would be over.

He sighs and turns another page, frowning thoughtfully at what he sees written there. It's a section dedicated to something called 'Voodoo Magic' which falls under the category of Black Magic; the darkest and most malevolent form of Dark Magic. 

**_ _ ** _ _

_ **Voodoo Magic** _

_Black Magic is the most dangerous kind of art a wizard or witch can dabble in and is not to be taken lightly. One must be fully prepared to accept the repercussions and understand the consequences when dealing with this magical form._

_It is a type of Dark Magic that goes beyond any extremes, farther than curses, hexes or poisons. It is a branch of magic that is hardly talked about in society all together, for people fear what it entails and stray far from the subject._

_Someone who has internal struggles and anger issues may perhaps find the art more easy to conquer and manipulate, as this type of magic feeds purely on emotion and mental stability. It is not a type of magic for the faint of heart or the weak._

_There are many different and rare kinds of spells and magic forms used which fall under the Black Magic category. One of them is Voodoo Magic._

_This is an ancient and almost long forgotten magical form, only used by the most skilled and deceptive of magicians. The soul purpose of this art is only to inflict torment, pain and suffering on a person whom the wizard or witch chooses._

_To complete this act, it involves a person who channels their hatred and anger into a humanoid looking figurine called a Voodoo doll, which are mainly made from either clay or fabric, and is embedded with the caster's magic, as well as the victim's._

_In order to get the victim's magic into the doll, the caster must steal either a lock of their hair, an eyelash, saliva or nail clippings and put it into the doll._

_A small ritual must be performed afterwards and then your Voodoo doll is ready for use. Provided it has been done properly, it will work in the presence of the victim or far away._

Harry blinked rapidly when he finished reading the contents of the book. He'd heard of Voodoo dolls, of course. It was something that was commonly mentioned in the muggle world as they were featured in horror movies on tv. There were also the times Dudley would threaten to make one that looked like him and he and Piers would stomp on it.

He never truly thought it would be something real, though. Then again, before he found out he was a wizard, he never would have believed magic exists, therefore this shouldn't be too surprising. 

He reads the rest of the contents quickly, which is just trivial things like how you have to be careful as you may find yourself addicted to the branch of magic and get a power rush from asserting so much dominance over someone. He locks that piece of information away in the back of his mind just in case it's ever needed and focuses purely on the interesting stuff like how to create them and what they do to the victim.

As it turns out, quite literally everything that you do to the doll would happen to the victim. If you set the doll on fire, the victim's skin would begin to burn and blister. If you bent the doll's leg, theirs would break in half. If you dumped the doll in a jar full of water, the victim would find themselves unable to breath.

He was surprised to find out that the Voodoo dolls would even work on muggles, not just witches, wizards or squibs. He didn't think that a piece of magic like this could be used in a ritual against a non-magical person, yet apparently it was possible if the caster was skilled and powerful enough to make it happen. 

Sure, the muggle may not have their own magic to go into the doll, but that wouldn't stop them from having part of their physical DNA, such as a lock of hair, embedded deep within the doll. The caster would simply have to put more of their own magic into the doll to guarantee it would work. 

It was a difficult and risky process, yet absolutely possible if the wizard put enough thought and detail into it.

Slowly, he let out a grin that bordered on manic and knew that this information would definetly come in handy one day if he needed it. Screw what anyone else thinks, he wouldn't tell anyone. It'd be his little secret. 

This could potentially be a lifesaver. Simply an extreme level of self defence. 

Or even if he makes one that's based on someone at school which he dislikes, a mean bully, or someone who simply deserves it for any reason at all, it would be a funny and practical way of messing them every now and then. 

He slams his book shut and places it back inside his trunk, hidden underneath his Invisibility Cloak with the rest and casts the strongest Locking Charm he can before jumping back into bed.

* * *

Harry tossed and turned in his bed, whimpering and clutching at the sheets whilst still in his unconscious state. Something wasn't right, it was wrong, all wrong.

It was dark and depressing, eerie and chilly. Everything was foggy and he tried desperately to hang onto what image was surrounding him. It was as if he were looking through eyes that weren't his own.

There was whispering. A lot of whispering that made his blood run cold. Hissing, foreign to him but very much like his companion's, somehow. Two words yelled so cruelly followed by green light, so vivid and bright that it lit up the entire room.

He jolted suddenly and gasped, sitting upright in his bed as he was pulled out of whatever hellish nightmare he'd just endured. Nessie was sitting next to him and hissing comforting words that he could barely make out over the sound of his harsh breaths.

**"Calm down, youngling. Slow your heart rate and you'll breath better,"** she said.

He did as she told him and soon enough began to settle down. **"What happened?"** he rasped out.

**"You were mumbling in your sleep and tossing around. I tried waking you by shouting and hitting you with my tail but your brain insisted on staying asleep,"'** she said aggravated.

**"I'm awake now, I'm fine,"** he sighed and rubbed his eyes which were pounding with an oncoming migraine. He winced slightly as the scar on his forehead let out a sharp twinge of pain for a second and he rubbed it gently. **"I must have hit my head or something."**

Nessie gave a small nod and eyed him sceptically. **"What did you dream about?"**

He sighed and thought hard, the dream quickly beginning to fade away from him as quickly as it came.

**"I can't really remember. I think there was a group of people in a room and I'm pretty sure there was a fireplace. There was also a man..."** he trailed off with furrowed eyebrows. **"A man who wasn't too nice."**

**"Is that all?"** Nessie asked.

**"Um, I think I saw a snake for a second. I swear I could hear hissing, but it was all fuzzy,"** he said tiredly. **"And then there was a green light."**

**"Perhaps you shouldn't eat too much sugar before you go to bed. I hear that can cause nasty dreams and tummy problems,"** she suggested, trying to be helpful.

He huffed out a laugh and stroked her head gently. **"You're right girl, that's probably it. Sirius has really been spoiling me too much,"** he joked.

They began to banter back and forth with silly comments, thankfully distracting Harry from the disturbing thought in the back of his head that told him he was missing something important - something vital.

* * *

Sirius was sitting at the kitchen table and scanning the contents of the Daily Prophet with interest as he read the heading; _The Quidditch World Cup, 1994._

Apparently the Ministry decided to combine the Irish and Bulgarian sports teams and have them playoff against each other in a monumental tournament. The last time this had happened was four years ago and he couldn't attend due to being locked in prison. Now that he's free, he plans to go and spend the day there with Harry.

Just then, the boy came stumbling downstairs looking tired and groggy. Sirius put down the paper and eyed him worriedly.

"Are you alright, pup? You look like you haven't slept all night."

Harry sighed and plopped himself down at the table, resting his head in his hand and not bothering to pick himself any breakfast.

"I'm fine," he mumbled quietly whilst staring down at the table.

"Harry," Sirius said seriously. "I can tell you're not. You look exhausted and stressed. Talk to me."

Harry clenched his eyes shut and rubbed them for a second before heaving out a long breath. 

"I just had these weird dreams last night, it's been bugging me for hours. No matter how hard I tried to fall asleep, I'd get these weird visions as if I were remembering it or having the dream again, then I'd wake up."

"Well, what are the dreams about?" Sirius asked, leaning forward.

"It's complicated," the boy groaned. "There's an old room and some people in there. There's a snake and I'm sure it was speaking but my mind keeps going fuzzy when I try to remember it. The worst part was-"

"Yes?" Sirius insisted when he cut himself off midsentence. 

"The worst part was when that man started speaking. His voice was so cold and I swear I can remember it from somewhere, but my stupid memory keeps drawing up a blank," he said with frustration. "I woke up when a bright green light suddenly flashed in front of me."

Sirius was staring at him in shock, as if the man knew something he didn't. "A green light?"

"Yeah," Harry said slowly. "The man mumbled something before it, I think. Just a couple of words that I can't remember either, but the green light came and then it was over."

Sirius rubbed his face and took in a shuddering breath. "Was there anything else that happened? Anything you're not telling me?"

Harry grimaced slightly and touched a hand to his head. "Well, it's probably nothing but my forehead started throbbing painfully. Though Nessie said I was writhing around in my sleep so I probably just bumped my head."

"Where was it sore?" Sirius demanded.

"On my scar," Harry murmured then shrugged nonchalantly, trying to ease the tension. "It's probably nothing."

Sirius shook his head. "No, never ignore something like this, especially when it involves your scar. It's a curse scar, Harry. If anything out of the ordinary happens involving it, do not keep it to yourself. Promise me."

Harry bit his lip and swallowed. "I promise."

"Good."

"What do you think it means then?" he asked doubtfully.

"It could mean anything. But, if I were to take an honest guess, I'd say it might be something involving the person who gave you that scar," the man said with bitterness.

"You mean Voldemort?" Harry asked, a small tremor going down his spine at the name and a tiny sense of deja vu hitting him. It disappeared in a second however, and he decided to ignore it.

"Uh-huh. But you don't have to worry, as you're perfectly safe here in this house, remember? Nobody can break in here as we have the strongest wards in all of Britain. Plus, it's under an extremely strong Fidelius Charm."

"I suppose you're right," Harry agreed. 

Sirius then decided to distract him by telling him all about the World Cup, something which the man was all too enthusiastic to talk about and Harry was all too excited to hear about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you like what you read <3
> 
> This came out much quicker, didn't it? :D I hope you liked this chap, it's kinda spooky lol


	5. Troubles At The Burrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staying at the Weasley's, an irritating cat and dealing with stress.

A couple of days later Sirius broke the news to him that the Weasleys had sent him a very brief letter which informed him they were all pleased he was declared innocent during the trial and had wanted both him and Harry to come and join them on their trip to the Quidditch World Cup.

Harry groaned miserably and shook his head at the thought of spending a day with them all, insisting that it was a terrible idea.

"Why would you say that?" Sirius questioned him confused by his behaviour. He didn't know the exact relationship between Harry and the Weasley family but he was pretty sure there wasn't any bad blood, at least to his knowledge. What he'd seen in the shack that night proved that he and the youngest male could be on somewhat civil terms.

"Because!" Harry said throwing his hands up. "They're loud and crowded because there's so many of them. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them, they're all nice people, I suppose. It's just him," he spat.

"Who's him?" Sirius asked.

"Ronald. He's a prat at the best of times. The thing is, he can control it yet he chooses not to. He loves making me uncomfortable and hurting my feelings," Harry scowled. "We used to have such a great friendship but he had to act like such a child and he turned against me. Then he had the audacity to say I betrayed _him_! All because his stupid sister died and I didn't save her. Like it's my job or something."

"Harry!" Sirius gasped. 

"What?" the boy raised an eyebrow. "It's true."

"It doesn't matter what's true and what's not true. Ronald Weasley may be these things you say, such as a child and perhaps he betrayed your friendship which I completely agree is uncalled for and I'm terribly sorry that happened to you," Sirius sighed. "But that really does not give you the right to speak ill of the dead like that. Karma is a bitch, I don't want it coming after you because of your temper."

Harry rolled his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. "Fine, I'll keep my badmouthing to a minimum."

Sirius smiled kindly at him. "Good. I'm only looking out for you. You're a good kid."

"Yeah, yeah," the boy mumbled. "When do the Weasleys want us to come over to their sha- uhm, their home?" he corrected quickly.

Sirius levelled him with a half attempted stare for a second before looking back down to the letter. "Oh wow, the night before the Cup."

Harry thought for a second before his eyes bugged out. "The Quidditch Cup takes place tomorrow!"

"Yep, so I better get writing my reply to Mr and Mrs Weasley right now and let them know-"

"That we'll not be able to make it," Harry interrupted.

"-that we'll be over by lunchtime," Sirius continued, ignoring his sarcasm. 

Harry groaned again and buried his head into his hands, praying to any deity that could possibly exist that he'd make it through the next twenty four hours alive. 

Sirius just huffed a laugh at his antics and got to writing his reply to the Weasleys. He'd grown used to his godson's antics over the past few weeks by now. He reminded him a whole lot of himself at his age; temperamental, whiney, stubborn and grumpy. He was also shockingly a lot like James at this age, too. Even his looks which he was growing into. 

He realised he absolutely didn't mind one bit dealing with the silly and sometimes frustrating young Harry Potter. This was what he'd been missing out on for the past thirteen years and he was ecstatic to finally see him in all his childish teenage glory the way he should be. He just wishes James and Lily could be here to see him, too. 

He's sure he'd drive them mental at times and give them grey hairs by the time they were thirty, but he'd also fill their hearts with the most love they could ever be filled with. He knew that from his own personal experience whilst living with the kid.

"Done," he said and sent off his letter with his black owl. "You better get dressed out of your jammies unless you want to go to their house looking like you've just rolled right out of bed."

"I have just rolled out of bed!" Harry snapped. "And that's exactly where I want to be again. It's all cosy and warm. I love it."

Sirius held back another laugh and stood up. "I'm sure there are beds at the Weasleys house that you can sleep in that are just as cosy."

"Ugh, why do you do this to me Padfoot?" Harry looked defeated.

"Trust me, pup. This'll be good for you."

"How?"

"You need to socialise more. It's not good for you to be cooped up in here all the time and talk to nobody. You could do with some fresh air," Sirius told him seriously.

"I talk to people. I've gotten letters from Severus. I even left the house several times."

"Yeah, to go furniture shopping or to spend a couple of hours out in town with me. Or even at a bloody Ministry trial. What you need is to talk to people you know, people you get along with," the man stated with a no nonsense attitude.

"I told you, the Weasleys..." Harry trailed off. "It's just so much, I don't know."

"You said Ron was the real problem. So why don't you just stay far away from him," Sirius suggested.

"That could work," the boy nodded slowly. 

"Good. You know I love you," Sirius said.

"Uh-huh," Harry rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. 

"Now get dressed!" the man called out as he ran upstairs to his room to get ready, distantly hearing some stomping coming up the stairs from behind him and knowing he'd won this fight. He felt victorious although he knew his godson would most likely be grumpy for the rest of their trip. He could only hope the day could go by quickly for the boy's sake and he could finally enjoy the Quidditch match like he deserved.

* * *

"Okay, you go first."

"Why? Are you scared if you go through the Floo before me then I'll decide not to come along?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't exactly going to say it out loud," Sirius shrugged. "However, they're your words, not mine. Now, do you know what to do?" he asked whilst pointing to their fireplace.

"Yes, I'm sure." Harry picked up a handful of the grey powder and threw it into the fireplace which engulfed him in painless green flames. He loudly called out "The Burrow" and was suddenly transported into another room, one which was filled with redheads and cluttered with knickknacks of all sorts, jumpers laid strewn about on furniture and shoes haphazardly laying in the middle of the floor. 

It was a tripping hazard and he desperately wanted to clean it all up instantly. 

Much to his amusement, there was also a questionable yellow rubber duck sitting on the window sill and he guessed that it must belong to Arthur Weasley.

"Harry, dear!" Molly Weasley called out as soon as she saw him. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around him in a hug which he awkwardly reciprocated. "I'm so glad you could make it. You're looking well."

"Uh, thanks. So are you."

"Oh, you charmer," she smiled. "Please, have a seat," she directed him to the dining room table where others were sitting and took a cautious seat, gently placing his overnight bag on the floor and eyeing everyone around him. Most people smiled, this including the twins, Arthur, Percy and an older boy named Charlie.

Suddenly, the fireplace roared to life again and Sirius stepped through with a grin. Molly greeted him the same way thankfully and directed him to sit next to Harry which he was grateful for. There was food on the table and Molly instructed everyone to dig in and help themselves, refusing to allow anyone to leave without stuffing themselves full. 

So far everything was going well. Arthur was making enthusiastic conversation with Sirius and Percy looked between them both whilst nodding his head in approval, joining in from time to time. The only thing that irritated Harry was the fact that Ron was sitting across the table from him next to Hermione, both of them giving him odd looks. 

Hermione's wasn't malicious or mean spirited, it was simply confusion and scepticism, as if she didn't know what to say. Maybe because she didn't want to say the wrong thing without angering or upsetting him. He appreciated that she was at the trial and defended Sirius but that didn't mean he was automatically going to forgive her for what she did or accept any friendship requests from her any time soon.

That's a ship that's never sailed and he's happy if it remains that way. 

Ron on the other hand was glaring his usual daggers his way. He was also pleased that the boy had defended Sirius yet it peeved him that he couldn't just remain mature even now. He didn't understand was his problem was. 

Harry just pursed his lips and stared Ron down without blinking, his eyes narrowing slightly in agitation. Hermione seemed to notice the tension and decided to break it before a fight could break out. 

She nudged Ron hard in the ribs but that didn't deter the boy from staring at him with his own unblinking eyes that spoke nothing but stupid and mean words towards him, most likely. 

Harry thought about using Legilimency on him for a second, however if he was clever enough to pick up on it for even a second then his secret would be out and he couldn't risk that. Perhaps another time in private, maybe where he could Obliviate him if he has to. It wouldn't bother him as it wouldn't be the first time. 

Halfway through their lunch, the Floo rang out again and another redhead stepped through. He wore a bright smile on his face and immediately was greeted with cheers from his family and a hug from his mother. 

"Bill, we missed you so much!" Molly said.

"Thanks mum, I missed you too," the man named Bill said happily. "How've you been?"

Harry eyed the eldest Weasley up and down. He had his red hair tied back in a low ponytail and an earing dangling from his ear in the shape of a fang. He was tall and muscular and compared to the rest of the Weasley men, he was actually quite handsome. He was wearing leather boots and a matching leather jacket which gave him an edgy punk rock muggle vibe which had Harry smirking slightly.

He reminded him a little bit of Sirius when he was in his youth due to the stories he'd told him about himself.

The only other seat that was available was next to him therefor Bill quickly came over and sat himself down next to Harry with a smile. 

"Hello, I don't believe we've met," the man said whilst sticking out his hand. "My name's Bill, although I'm pretty sure you've already picked up on that by now," he chuckled.

Harry plastered a smile on his face and nodded politely, shaking his strong hand. "Yeah, I sort of did. I'm Harry, nice to meet you."

Bill's eyes widened for a fraction of a second and he looked as if he were trying to stop his eyes from averting upwards towards his scar which Harry greatly appreciated. Instead, the man just turned to the food and went on as normal, clearly deciding to treat him as any other person and not comment on his name. 

It seemed as if he knew who he was by clicking the pieces together and mostly guessed that if he didn't mention his last name then that meant he didn't want to talk about it or be recognised. Of course, all of that was correct and Harry suddenly found himself having a small wave of gratitude towards this man, knowing he must be far more intelligent than he let on.

It surprised him because he never thought he'd feel that way towards a Weasley, of all people. All they did was overwhelm him and make him want to put his fingers in his ears. 

He hoped that feeling would last throughout his trip here at the Burrow as he only wanted to go home and enjoy the peace and quiet that Grimmuald Place provided, obviously when Walburga wasn't screaming her lungs out. 

"So Harry, are you looking forward to the Quidditch World Cup tomorrow evening?" Molly asked from where she sat down the long table. 

"Oh, very much so. I really love Quidditch," he nodded quickly then got a devious smirk on his face. "As a matter of fact, I made Quidditch Captain of the Slytherin team this year."

"What?!" Ron yelled out, dropping his fork on the table. "No you didn't."

"Tell that to my Quidditch Captaincy badge that I received in the post recently," Harry raised an eyebrow. "I can assure you I did. Unless you'd like me to go back home right now and fetch it for you to see."

"I don't want to see your stinking badge!" Ron spat.

"Ronald Weasley! That is enough!" Molly yelled at her son angrily. "We do not treat our guests that way, especially when they've achieved a great accomplishment like that. How would you feel if someone put you down after you did something great?"

Ron crossed his arms and slouched back in his chair, glaring down at his lap and his face turning red from the scolding.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you make Quidditch Captain? You're going into your fourth year, correct? I thought Captains were assigned in sixth year," Bill asked from beside him.

"Well, Marcus Flint and I had some personal arrangements made and he saw my potential and skills during my first three years of Quidditch at school-"

"Three years? You made the team in your _first_ year?" Bill asked astonished.

"Youngest Seeker in a centaury," Harry said proudly. "Anyway, he was the previous Captain last year and he was graduating so he had to pick a new one to replace him when he was gone. He didn't want just anyone to take his place in case they did a terrible job so he came to me and he put in a good word with Professor Snape. He considered it for a while and eventually agreed because it was best for the team."

"While I'm not a Slytherin, I still think that's amazing. Especially for someone so young," Bill said with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Bill."

"Don't congratulate him!" Ron hissed at his elder brother across the table. "He's playing for the opposite team."

"Why does any of that matter?" Harry raised his brows. "I've told you before to stop being so prejudice, it is beneath you."

"I don't give a flying f-"

"Forgive me for insulting your precious dedication and loyalty to the amazing Godric Gryffindor who's been dead for over one thousand years and will never know of your existence," Harry started, interrupting the boy's swearing, "but you do realise that none of the House sortings really matter, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean that it's only some silly way to get children into common rooms and to help them make some friends easily. The Hat doesn't put you into a place that's good or evil, it just gives you a list of qualities that you may value most and you can pick from them and decide to go there with those people who also value the same things. It gives you a _choice_. I should know. 

"And besides," he continued whilst rolling his eyes at the young boy who was currently gaping at him, "once we leave school and disrobe from our coloured Hogwarts clothes, none of it will ever matter again. We shall all get nine to five jobs and work together - hopefully in harmony in the workplace - and make good futures for ourselves. We'll wear our own clothes or work uniforms and nobody will ever know of anybody's stupid school House and be bias unless they ask." He finished his rant and looked around the table, seeing a variety of mixed emotions.

Sirius was looking at him with pride which didn't surprise him in the slightest as they'd already had a similar talk about this before and mutually agreed on the opinion. Ron looked livid and was clenching his fists, his face red. Hermione looked as if she was considering what he was saying, although she always over analysed things no matter what it was. Bill, Percy and Charlie all looked quite accepting of the idea and at ease where they sat, much to his relief.

The twins looked confused as if they'd never heard of something like that before, which they probably didn't. Molly and Arthur looked a tad shocked also but after a moment they snapped out of it with equal smiles and nodded at him.

"Wise words Harry," Arthur told him.

"Dad!" Ron whined.

"Quite the brain you have there," Molly agreed. "I just wish some of my boys had the same sense."

"Mum!" Ron whined again.

Molly sent a glare his way and Arthur interrupted. "Why don't we just finish our food and then we can discuss sleeping arrangements for the night, hmm?"

"Good idea," she agreed.

"I swear, if I end up having to share a room with you I'll just kill myself," Ron hissed to him over the table for only him to hear.

Harry just smiled back at him. "Let's hope we have to share a room then."

Ron's red face suddenly paled.

* * *

Harry was sitting on the lumpy couch in the living room and reading from a book which he'd packed away inside his bag for his stay. He was blocking out all the background noise of everyone else talking and focusing on the contents of the page when suddenly he heard hissing next to him. 

He turned his head and saw Hermione's cat had popped out of nowhere and jumped up onto the couch, eyeing him up nastily with it's claws out and teeth bared, clearly ready for attack. Harry rolled his eyes and waved his hand at the cat to shoo it away. 

"Away with you, you stupid thing," he said and went back to his book. He heard another hiss and pursed his lips, fists clenching around the book pages and crinkling it slightly. "I mean it, kitty. I only have so much patience," he warned the cat quietly whilst glaring at it. 

He knew Kneazles were extremely smart and much more clever than regular cats. They understood commands, intent and conversation to a far greater degree than some animals, just as snakes do. That's why it bothered him so much when the cat wouldn't budge from it's position aside him. It meant the cat actually wanted to fight him which was just stupid as he'd clearly win.

The cat arched it's back and let out another loud growl and hiss, making Harry sigh in frustration and decide to just close his book and get up to move to a different seat. As he went to stand up, the cat lashed out and clawed at his arm, scratching it and making him hiss. 

"Ow! Bloody cat, look what you've done!" he snapped, pointing to his bleeding arm. "That's it." He glared and grabbed the cat by the scruff of it's neck harshly, lifting it up off the couch and ignoring it's screeching to be let free. "I told you to get lost but you didn't listen, did you? Now you have to pay the price."

He was about to head upstairs and drop the cat out the window like he'd done with Ron's rat Scabbers a while back when he suddenly heard footsteps. 

"Crookshanks? Where are you, boy? It's time for your snack," Hermione's voice called out as she walked into the living room where he was all alone. She stopped in her tracks when she saw his livid face and an agitated cat dangling from his hand. "Crookshanks!"

She ran towards him and roughly grabbed the cat from his grip, cuddling it into her arms safely.

"What do you think you were doing?!" she screeched. "How can you treat an animal like that?"

"Excuse me Granger, your stupid cat started it. Look what he did to my poor arm." He held up his left arm and showed off the bloodied claw marks through his ripped shirt and she rolled her eyes.

"He probably did that because you were hurting him. It was just self defence."

"Oh, please! I only picked him up and went to get rid of him because he attacked me first. I was minding my own business reading my book and he started hissing and growling at me. You need to get your beasts under control," he spat. 

"What did you call him?" Hermione gasped. "Crookshanks is not a beast, he is a Kneazle and they're very intelligent."

"I know they are. But this one must have some kind of mental deformity if he thinks he can actually take me on in a fight like he tried to," Harry glowered. "It's a good thing you walked in when you did."

"Why?" she asked with a frown and cuddled the cat tighter to her body, turning it away from him in protection.

"Because if you hadn't, you wouldn't have a cat anymore," Harry grit out. 

"You're a monster," Hermione took a step back whilst shaking her head in disbelief. "You'd... what? Hurt him? Kill him? All because he made some normal and typical noises that a cat does?"

Harry took slow and cautious steps towards her until she was backed up against the wall. His ears and nose perked up at the sounds and smells around them to make sure they were alone and when he was satisfied it was just the two of them, he trapped her with a hand on either side of her head and stared her down.

"You can call me a monster all you want. But in what way did you mean that, my dear?" he taunted her. "I didn't take you for a person who condones ableism."

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"That's how I took it," he said in mock sadness. "Now, here's how it's going to go. You're not going to tell anybody what's happened here today, okay? This will stay between us."

"And why would I keep this between us? Why shouldn't I go tell everyone what kind of heartless person you are, huh? That you're the sort of person who abuses animals and tries to kill them and then frightens young women and traps them against walls?" she glared.

"Because, if you tell anybody then I'll be forced to tell them that you mocked me for being a werewolf by calling me a monster, of all things," he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, think about it. I have a critical and life threatening condition that I can't control and I'm trying my best to hide it and not be ashamed of it, yet you've already gotten into heaps of trouble by outing my secret to another student and a suspected criminal. Not to mention that you did the same to poor Professor Lupin."

He shook his head at her and tutted whilst she just stared at him in horror.

"The odds most definetly aren't in your favour here, darling. If all of this gets out, you'll be hated and deemed an outcast quicker than you can even attempt to mutter a half-arsed apology to me that I most certainly won't accept. So? What do you say?" he asked her.

"You are so manipulative," she whispered to him whilst clutching her cat tighter for comfort and backing up further into the wall to get farther away from him. She trembled slightly and her voice was shaky although she tried her best to conceal it. He admired the attempt but still found it hilarious. 

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Of course you do, you narcissistic psychopath!" she snapped.

He just glared hard at her and clenched his fists tightly against the wall by her head. "Make your decision."

"I..." She gulped and looked around him over to the doorway where everyone else was still inside the kitchen area and talking and then sighed defeated. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

"Great, I'm glad you've come to your senses," he smiled at her and she cringed, looking down at her feet. He took his hands away from the wall and took a step back. "Just remember, Granger. This whole conversation? It'll be our little secret."

He put his book back inside his backpack safely and performed a quick Healing Charm on himself then walked back into the kitchen and smiled at Sirius who was drinking a coffee. 

"Hey, pup. Finally feel like socialising?" he teased. 

"Maybe for a bit," he shrugged and sat down on a chair.

"Have you seen Hermione?" Molly asked with curiosity. "She said she'd be right back but it's been about five minutes."

"Oh, yeah. I saw her a moment ago. She was just looking for Crookshanks. He's running around the house somewhere, you know how cats are," he chuckled. "They're playful little things."

He ignored the light hearted comments he received afterwards and focused on his last memory of Hermione, remembering seeing her intimidated against the wall and mumbling to herself under her breath whilst stroking that damned cat's fur. He knew she would need a moment alone to process what happened and hardly thought she'd come waltzing inside the room anytime soon.

If she dared to bring the cat anywhere near him again though, he promises he's going to make what happened to Mrs Norris in second year look like childsplay.

He sat and talked to them all for a while until eventually the girl came back into the room, thankfully without the cat. She walked in stiffly and took a seat at the other end of the table, far away from him.

"Where's Crookshanks, Hermione?" Ron asked her. "I thought you were going to get him."

"Uh, yeah I was but he's just laying on the couch and sleeping for now. I didn't want to wake him," she shrugged.

"Wouldn't want that," Harry agreed with a soft smile, ignoring her clenched jaw and intake of breath. 

"No..." she mumbled.

"So, sleeping arrangements?" Arthur said brightly to everyone, unaware of the tension between the two.

"We'll share a room," Charlie said looking over to Bill. "Won't we? We can just squeeze ourselves into my old room."

"That's fine with me," Bill said. 

"Hermione, you can sleep in Ginny's old room," Molly said looking to the girl fondly and getting a soft smile in return. "Fred and George, you're sharing as usual. Percy?"

"Perhaps I could share a room with Mr Black, therefor Harry and Ron can share."

"No!" Ron yelled out loudly. Harry ducked his head to hide a laugh as he was berated yet again by Molly. "Mum, I don't want to share with him."

"Mrs Weasley, I think what Ron is trying to say is that he'd much rather prefer me staying with Sirius as he's my godfather and protector. I'd certainly feel safer under those circumstances as would Sirius," Harry said to woman.

"Oh, alright then," she agreed with a gentle voice towards him.

"Besides, it would be good for Ron to spend some more time with his elder brother Percy by sharing a room. He could listen to all his amazing stories of what he's been doing at the Ministry with his new successful job and how far in life he's going to go. Wouldn't that be nice, Ron?" Harry said to the boy. "Maybe you could learn a few things from him."

Ron just sneered back at him, falling right into his trap. "I don't need to hear any stories from Percy about his new fancy job. I don't care about it."

"Hey!" Percy snapped. "You are talking about an official Ministry worker, the personal assistant to Mr Bartemius Crouch Sr. I'd show a little bit more respect if I were you," he said cockily.

"Oh, go screw yourself Percy!" Ron spat back, making his parents gasp. 

Suddenly, all hell broke loose and the Weasleys were all arguing back and forth whilst Harry just grinned smugly to himself and relaxed back in his chair with his arms folded over his chest.

"Nice going," Sirius mumbled into his ear discreetly. 

"Huh?"

"I saw what you did there with Ron. He was insulting you and instead of retaliating with silly insults, you used that cunning of yours to come up with a plan and turn the situation quickly against him by comparing him to his brother," the man clarified. "Very devious but clever," he smirked.

Harry just smiled to himself. "If there's one thing I know about Ronald Weasley, it's that he hates being compared to his elder siblings considering they're much farther ahead in life than he is and therefor he's threatened by them. It's his weakness."

"And you prey on that, do you?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Don't sound so morbid, Padfoot," Harry rolled his eyes then shrugged. "Not all the time. Only if I absolutely have to, like now."

"Fair enough," Sirius sighed and ruffled his hair affectionately. 

It seemed that no matter what kind of trouble he could cause and no matter how many arguments and fights he could start, Sirius would always be there right by his side and would be defending him. There were times when he'd question him and give him a stern lecture but overall, he knows the man would have his back and that made everything okay. 

He suddenly felt the familiar cold touch of the serpent locket press up against the skin underneath his shirt and clasped a hand to it, feeling it warm up over the material and heat up nicely on his chest. He soon began to feel that familiar thumping of a heart radiating from it, coursing through his veins and synchronise with his own heartbeat. 

It was somehow reassuring to have the locket with him at all times, as if he were taking care of something precious that deserved life and devotion and protection. He felt as if he could be that person. He wanted to be that person.

Soon, it faded and he let out a sigh as he refocused back on the people in the room. The Weasleys were ending their fight and Ron was sat in his chair sulking, looking two seconds away from throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler who isn't allowed to play outside.

Molly and Arthur were repeatedly apologising to Hermione, Sirius and himself for all of their behaviour but he hardly cared for apologies as it was more amusing than rude for his sake. He nodded anyway as he felt that was appropriate and they all agreed that Harry should stay with Sirius for tonight and Ron would keep his mouth shut and not complain as he camped out with Percy in his room.

Harry belatedly wondered to himself who the boy would rather spend the night with: Percy or himself? Either way, both option was enough to drive Ron mental throughout the night and that was entertaining enough for him.

* * *

"Honestly, I'd much rather sleep in the attic where the ghoul resides rather than sleep in a room with Ron ever again," Harry mumbled into his pillow as he tried to get comfy on the lumpy bed. Sirius was on the other bed in the room and smiled sympathetically at him. "He snores loudly, I feel bad for his brother."

"We'll only have to spend one night here and then we can enjoy the Quidditch game this time tomorrow. After that, we'll be able to go home, okay?" Sirius said.

"Alright," Harry sighed. "Do you think it'll be fun? And will there be lots of people?"

"There'll be thousands of people coming," Sirius grinned. "It'll get pretty crowded so stay close to me and try not to get lost. I've only just got you back."

Harry smiled and reached out his arm between their beds, letting Sirius hold his small hand for a moment before retreating and snuggling back under the scratchy duvet with a grimace. 

"Okay. G'night Padfoot," Harry mumbled again and yawned.

"Night, pup," Sirius said softly and pulled his duvet up.

* * *

He got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and luckily he memorised which were the squeaky floorboards so he could avoid them and walk in silence throughout the large house. 

He missed Nessie dearly and felt sad that he had to leave his girl at home alone, however he knew she'd be absolutely safe as she had been thoroughly fed beforehand and was in a household that could not be broken into. She also had enough common sense to keep herself out of trouble while he was away.

He originally thought about bringing her with him to the Burrow but realised that there would be so many people and he already felt overwhelmed himself so he didn't want to do the same thing to her. He also knew that Ron would probably have a few choice words to say in the matter and would end up insulting her.

Thankfully he was right in not bringing her as Hermione's silly cat was here and they would not get along well. If Nessie was around whilst the cat attacked him, she wouldn't hesitate to sink her fangs and venom into the thing and kill it. 

It was her way of protecting him as he was her companion and hers to care for, alongside Sirius. He knows Hermione would have an explosive reaction to that, too. Most likely she'd claim that his snake was dangerous and a predator that needed to be sent away or even killed which would then set Nessie off yet again.

_'Yeah, good thing I left her at home'_ , he thinks to himself. 

On his way back to his room, he passes by Ginny's old room which Hermione's currently staying in and listens in through the door. Satisfied that she's asleep, he gently pushes the door open and walks inside, staring down at the girl and the sleeping cat that rests on her stomach. 

He scoffs and shakes his head, fighting every instinct he has right now that tells him to grab the stupid feline and have his wicked way with it. He knows he can't, though. It's too risky and he'd be the immediate suspect. 

Hermione would probably just abandon their deal, risking her own reputation which he'd gladly destroy, all in favour of loyalty to that stupid Crookshanks which he finds totally ridiculous.

He mulls the idea of getting back at the cat at a later date whenever the time is possible, hopefully without the girl being anywhere near either one of them. He takes one last look at her and cringes, walking quietly out the room and shutting the door behind him. He takes the careful steps back to his shared bedroom with Sirius and jumps right into the lumpy bed, shifting uncomfortably until he can find a somewhat tolerable position to lay in.

For some reason he’s hardly looking forward to the Quidditch World Cup. He likes Quidditch and usually this would be something he’d not stop thinking about or talking about, however he’s felt nothing but tiredness and boredom come over him for the past couple of days.

He blames the Weasleys and their unnecessary company and constant chatter. He and Sirius could go and enjoy the event themselves but no. Apparently socialisation is good for both of them, according to literally everyone who he’s spoken to. 

He just takes in a couple of deep breaths and remembers what Sirius told him; if he gets stressed or overwhelmed, just to imagine himself in a happy place for only him to see.

He closes his eyes and retreats back into his Mindscape, seeing the familiar soft couches he conjures up for himself and fluffy rug beneath his bare feet. The warm fireplace crackles beside him and there’s a sweet aroma in the room that comes from some candles. 

Gentle music plays in the background from an imaginary radio and he rests his feet up on a table as he sips on some tea.

Soon, he begins to relax inside his mind and eventually feels himself slip back into reality, chilled and calm and ready to fall asleep. 

He rolls over onto his side and buries his head into his pillow and promptly drifts off into a peaceful world of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you like what you read <3 
> 
> Harry's just a lil shit, isn't he lol 😌


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